The Gambling Commission in the UK is placing a strong emphasis on the responsible design of gambling incentives such as bonuses and free bets. This focus will be a key topic in the upcoming round of consultations for the Gambling Act white paper.
During a recent address to the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) Social Responsibility Exchange, Mandy Gill, the Commission's director of compliance, announced the new consultations. The aim of these consultations is to gather industry input on crafting socially responsible gambling incentives.
The discussions will also cover other important topics, including the potential implementation of mandatory online deposit limits and the revision of regulatory return practices. The Commission is committed to making gambling safer and ensuring fairness and legality. Gill encouraged continued cooperation and feedback from the industry.
The consultations will not only focus on online gambling practices but also on land-based gambling operations. While financial vulnerability checks will not extend to land-based venues, there are proposals to improve marketing preferences across all gambling platforms.
Another important aspect is the update of age verification methods in physical gambling locations. There is a possibility of increasing the age for staff challenges from 21 to 25, aligning it with regulations for other regulated products like tobacco and alcohol.
Gill also mentioned the Commission's review of Gaming Machine Technical Standards, which will consider session limits and safer gambling measures in Category B and C machines. This review includes input from BACTA's 'Responsible Game Design Code of Conduct'.
During the previous round of consultations, which received over 3,000 responses, topics such as financial risk assessments, cross-selling, direct marketing in non-slots casino games, and age verification in premises were discussed.
In conclusion, the Gambling Commission's focus on the responsible design of gambling incentives is a crucial step towards making gambling safer and more socially responsible. The upcoming round of consultations will provide an opportunity for industry stakeholders to contribute their insights and ideas. It is important for the industry to cooperate and provide feedback to ensure fairness, legality, and the well-being of gamblers.
