The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) have recently published a joint letter emphasizing the need for gambling firms to place more focus on commercial law and compliance. This joint letter comes in the wake of a ‘joint program’ conducted by both companies in a bid to investigate some of the suspected breaches of consumer protection law in the remote gambling sector – the program addresses a number of changes that have already been implemented by six operators following advice previously provided by the CMA.
Ladbrokes, William Hill, PT Entertainment, BGO, Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play, the six operators, have all committed to the ensuring that they will not “continue or repeat certain practices which the CMA considered were unfair. But the impact of this work has been felt across the entire sector”.
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In the letter, the companies detailed how their joint effort provider sharper focus on various aspects of online gambling which, in turn, exposed a number of serious shortfalls that existed within the sector which had been undermining consumer trust and confidence.
In addition to that, the letter clarified that to fully comply with their licensing responsibilities and consumer law, the operators are going to have to go further than simply complying with the published regulations.
“You need to audit all your terms and conditions, examine your business systems and practices, embed compliance and, importantly, continually review these to ensure that you maintain high standards of consumer protection in the future. We have seen indications of the wider sector working to make changes to the way in which promotions are constructed and promoted to consumers,” the letter reads.
Both the CMA and the gambling commission have also been quite vocal about the fact that even though the operators have made significant strides when it comes to adhering to compliance measures, there is more that needs to be done.
The UKGC Unveils Brand-New National Strategy
Still, on the point of gambling regulations, the UK Gambling Commission has also recently unveiled its three-year National Strategy that details its plans to coordinate with a number of stakeholders including health bodies, communities, wider businesses and regulators as they strive to combat the menace that is gambling-related harm.
The new strategy focusses mainly on the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm while at the same time give just the right of attention to research and evaluation of gambling-related harm in a bid to ensure widespread adoption of viable options. This has even earned it the support of the United Kingdom’s government which has been championing greater stakeholder participation in the fight against gambling-related harm.
