BGC requests investigation officer
The British Gambling and Betting Council (BGC) is urging the government to introduce an ombudsman for the gambling industry. This individual would handle customer complaints and serve as a mediator between the industry, politics, and society. The BGC has made this request many times before in the UK; will it be implemented with the current reform?
Ombudsman: Moving Forward?
The gambling organization, BGC, is once again advocating for the establishment of an ombudsman for the gambling sector in the UK. Mainly, this person would handle customer complaints. The request ties in with the ongoing review of the Gambling Act of 2005. BGC's chief executive, Michael Dugher, states that the ombudsman's goal is to further enhance consumer protection.
Dugher adds that it's expected that all licensed betting and gambling providers will be required to join a relevant association as part of the reform. The ombudsman's roles would also include impartial mediation between the industry, politics, and society. The reform of the Gambling Act has the consensus of many, and it's hoped that the government will follow through on the demand for an ombudsman.
Dugher also mentions that all members of the BGC - such as William Hill, Betway, Flutter Entertainment, Playtech, Kindred, and LeoVegas - acknowledge the need for reform. In fact, all companies, including the largest member of the BGC, Flutter Entertainment, support the idea. The industry, alongside the Labour Party, had previously demanded the introduction of an intermediary in 2019 as well.
The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is leading the revision of the Gambling Act. Since the law last received updates in 2005, questions have arisen concerning advertising, bonuses, stake limits, and animal welfare, among other matters of consumer protection. The DCMS's three primary goals for the review are investigating potential legal changes, striking a balance between consumer freedom and safety, and modernizing player protection in both land-based and online gaming establishments.
Proposed Gambling Act Reforms
Operators licensed in the UK would face stricter regulations and looser rules under the upcoming law changes: For instance, they might need to raise the minimum age from 16 to 18 for specific games, enforce a €2 per spin limit on online slot machines, and slow down the games with more breaks.
Improved animal welfare in horse racing and dog racing is also being considered. Connected to British gambling, these animals often experience incredible stress to perform. The Labour Party had previously requested better animal welfare in the racing industry, including a ban on whips for horses, in 2019.
Another significant topic is the control of gambling advertising, largely associated with sponsorship deals between betting providers and sports clubs: A shirt advertising ban is anticipated, as is a broader sponsorship and advertising ban. Additionally, there's discussion surrounding the potential banning of loot boxes in video games like FIFA or Star Wars: Battlefront II.
The betting sponsorship debate is currently a hot button issue in UK gambling reform. The matter sparked widespread concern in 2018 when gambling advertisements were discovered on the junior websites of 15 professional football clubs. The debates started to intensify when it was discovered that of the more than 70% of Premier League clubs have betting partners, leading several Christian groups to call for the banning of betting advertising. A website was even created to promote this campaign.
Reform: Increased Pressure on BGC and UKGC
The reform of the Gambling Act puts more pressure on both the BGC and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which emerged from the momentous Gambling Act of 2005. The APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group), a cross-party group of MPs, has criticized the UKGC's alleged lax approach to penalizing rule violators.
The dramatic collapse of the Football Index soccer exchange in 2020 fueled this strain. The group of MPs informed the BBC that the situation was scandalous and initiated a thorough investigation of the UKGC. It is unclear, however, to what extent the UKGC was involved in the company overseen by Adam Cole, which went bankrupt.
Regardless, UKGC head Neil McArthur resigned just before the bankruptcy. It's also known that thousands of individuals lost a significant amount of money as a result of the event. Although Cole had been promoting the service aggressively before the bankruptcy, eventually, dividends couldn't be distributed. It will be interesting to see which reforms take effect and what role the UKGC will play in the future.
Read also:
- The 15-year-old murderer admits to fatally shooting Francesco, who was 14.
- Schalke's pressure has affected Terodde.
- Columbia University Faces Possible Expulsion Following Demonstrations
- Football turmoil in Munich: Last-minute penalty stuns Bayern
Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
