Gambling Commission publishes new guidance ahead of rules change
Operators should take heed of new customer protection guidance published by the Gambling Commission, it said.
New rules on action for at-risk customers were announced in April and will take effect from 12 September.
These rules, described by the Gambling Commission as “stronger and more prescriptive,” will introduce a host of new requirements centred around more extensive monitoring obligations. Ahead of their introduction, the regulator has issued updated guidance intended to facilitate compliance.
The 27-page document, accessible via the Gambling Commission’s website, outlines how iGaming operators will be expected to interact with customers once the new rules take effect.
The updated guidance offers further information on identifying vulnerable customers, indicators of harm that operators are required to look out for, when to use automated systems and processes and how to evaluate the impact of customer interactions.
Existing guidance, which includes anything published during Covid-19, will continue to apply until 12 September, but from then on, the new advice will supersede all previously issued guidance.
“Operators must take account of this guidance ahead of the stronger requirements coming into effect. We are giving the industry time to prepare for the changes and expect full compliance by September,” said Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission CEO.
“Every gambling business has a role to play to prevent gambling harm and this guidance makes clear what we expect to see, which will be supported with enforcement action should we need it.
“In the current context, including the rise in the cost of living, it is more important than ever for operators to meet these requirements to identify customers at risk of harm.”
The Commission also remarked that a further consultation will be launched on the ways to tackle three key risks: “binge gambling, significant unaffordable losses over time and risks for those who are financially vulnerable.”
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