Great Britain issues new gambling regulations for improved player protection.
The United Kingdom's Gambling Commission (GC) and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) have recently unveiled plans to put in place enhanced security measures to safeguard gamblers from financial harm.
Safety measures for gamblers in the UK by 2025
The UK's leading newspaper, The Guardian [link in English], reported on these innovations, specifying that these new GC and BGC norms are scheduled for implementation by February 2025. These rules will primarily target financial risk assessment of gamblers to prevent them from struggling with debt.
The risk assessment process for players will take into consideration the following factors:
Come August, gamblers who lose more than GBP 500 (EUR 584.55) on a monthly basis are required to undergo additional checks. This threshold is set to decrease to GBP 150 (EUR 175.36) from February 28, 2025. Originally, the government had suggested a GBP 125 (EUR 146.14) limit, as per their white paper [link in English].
Besides scrutinizing the financial risks of gambling, the creditworthiness of these players will also be taken into account. However, it's believed that this policy would only impact around 20% of UK gamblers.
From August, gambling operators will also have the ability to request publicly available data from their customers and utilize this information to gauge potential gambling addiction.
Also, an enforced waiting time of at least five seconds will be implemented between spins on online slots. The removal of options like turbo mode or slam stop from providers' services is set to occur by February 2025. Visual displays and sound effects for wins that don't exceed the previous stake will be abolished as well.
Role of the Gambling Commission and the Betting and Gaming Council
The Gambling Commission is the authority tasked with regulating and issuing licenses to gambling operators in the UK. Its responsibilities entail monitoring compliance with British gambling laws, ensuring player protection, and enacting measures to counter gambling addiction. Study conducted by GambleAware reported that around two-thirds of UK players with gambling issues fail to disclose their predicament.
The Betting and Gaming Council is the umbrella organization representing the UK gambling and gaming industry. It emphasizes responsible gaming and the protection of youngsters as its major objectives.
In Germany, the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) is the body in charge of these functions. Since 2021, only gambling operators on GGL's whitelist are permitted to lawfully offer their games to the German player population. The UK and Germany have similar regulations, including the 5-second rule for slots.
It's yet to be seen whether the UK's new player protection policies will be effective in addressing gambling addiction.(With inputs from The Guardian)
Read also:
- Remaining contenders down to two in DFB's struggle versus Brazil.
- Law enforcement agencies in various metropolises plan expansive measures for May 1.
- Berlin Transport Senator Schreiner Steps Down over Doctorate Issues
- The Next Development in the DAZN/DFL Billion Euro Controversy
Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
