Deputy CEO Sarah Gardner told the KPMG Gibraltar eSummit the regulator has two major projects on the matter.
UK.- The Gambling Commission is planning to launch “two major projects” that will focus on its licensees’ responsibilities regarding white-label arrangements. Speaking at the KPMG Gibraltar eSummit, deputy CEO Sarah Gardner said these would include a vulnerability statement and guidance on customer interactions.
She said the projects were part of the British regulator’s duty to implement recommendations from the UK government’s gambling white paper, which was published at the end of April.
She said: “We will shortly publish two items that we committed to deliver in our advice to government, reinforcing licensees’ responsibilities regarding third parties and white label arrangements. These items, a vulnerability statement and guidance on customer interactions, are part of the Commission’s commitment to openness and active engagement with all stakeholders.”
Gambling White paper consultations
Gardner added that the Gambling Commission was advancing with the new consultations that were mandated by the government review of gambling legislation.
She said: “This summer we intend to consult on proposals relating to age verification in premises, removing features which increase intensity of play on non-slots casino games online, cross-selling, and financial risk and vulnerability checks.”
She said that implementation of the review of the 2005 Gambling Act will take several years and stressed the value of industry collaboration. She mentioned the multi-operator risk-sharing solution GamProtect as an example and said the Commission intended to continue to promote such collaboration.
However, she again raised the regulator’s concerns with repeat breaches of regulations, which continue to lead to hefty fines. She noted that in the 2022/23 financial year, the Gambling Commission levied £60m in penalties for regulatory failures, compared to £1.7m in 2016/17. It most recently fined Videoslots £2m for breaches dating back to October 2019 to February 2022.
She said: “Three serious recent cases involved customers spending substantial sums in short time frames without proper checks. Although encouraging signs of operator innovation and compliance-based competition have emerged, these issues underscore the need for reinforced responsibilities.”
In conclusion, she said: “The next few years represent a real opportunity for all parties to make a decisive difference towards gambling in Great Britain being safer, fairer, and crime-free.”
