Key Points:
- The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) launched its first International Best Practice Guide (BPG!)
- The guide examines regulatory approaches in the online gaming sector, focusing on consumer protection and market integrity
- A study commissioned by the BGC revealed the risks posed by unregulated gambling markets in the UK
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has unveiled its inaugural International Best Practice Guide, a resource designed to aid policymakers and online gaming operators in navigating the complexities of online gambling regulation.
Developed in collaboration with professional services firm Alvarez and Marsal (A&M), the guide presents a global overview of regulatory frameworks, highlighting key objectives and the methods employed by different jurisdictions to achieve them.
The guide outlines several core objectives that are common to regulators across the world, including high channelisation (ensuring that gaming occurs within regulated markets), consumer protection (particularly for vulnerable groups and minors), preserving consumer choice, maintaining gambling-free crime and raising tax revenue.
By comparing regulatory approaches from various jurisdictions, the guide aims to provide insights into the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
This comprehensive guide comes at a time when the online gaming industry has seen substantial growth. In 1994, only a handful of jurisdictions offered online gaming; today, more than 100 regions are involved in regulating the sector.
Good to know: A study commissioned by the BGC found that 1.5 million people in the UK gamble on illegal platforms, placing up to £4.3bn ($5.6bn) at stake each year
The guide hopes to address this by helping policymakers create balanced regulations that protect consumers while avoiding the proliferation of unsafe gambling alternatives.
The BGC has been active in shaping gambling regulation, with its members contributing £105m to the UK’s Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) in 2024. This follows the recent election of Simon Clare to the HBLB.
Grainne Hurst, BGC CEO, commented: “Through effective regulation of this new growth sector, governments can achieve their core priorities of raising tax, boosting growth and jobs, while delivering high standards for player protection. In the UK, we have seen that firsthand, where balanced regulations have created a sector which raises billions in tax and investment in the economy, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs.
The guide was officially launched by Hurst at the G2E conference in Las Vegas, offering policymakers and operators a detailed look at the various regulatory choices available to them.
This continues the focus of lobby bodies applying pressure on regulators and not necessarily operators themselves, although the BGC has put in place several codes of conducts for its operator members too.
