As the UKGC prepares to publish the first set of White Paper-related consultations next month, it has reiterated its commitment to fully implementing the recommendations of the Gambling Act Review, though the entire process will take several years.

In her speech at the recent KPMG Gibraltar eSummit, the Commission’s Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner gave an update on the progress of those consultations and what they will cover.

Collaboration is Key

The UKGC is sticking to its timetable regarding the publication of White Paper-related consultations, with the first tranche out in July. The consultations will cover key player protection measures, including age verification, cross-selling, and financial risk and vulnerability assessments. 

Gardner highlighted the importance of inputs from stakeholders, including operators, consumers, trade bodies, and people with lived experience, in getting things right, saying collaboration is the way to go.

Further Guidelines on White Paper Partnerships 

Gardner also talked about future actions that the agency will take in line with its advice to the government regarding gambling reform.

White label partnerships are among the areas the UKGC will focus on this year, with the regulator looking to reinforce licensees’ duties relating to white label arrangements with third parties. Gardner said they will publish two items on this particular aspect soon.

The Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Sarah Gardner stated that the agency will release the results of its consultations on planned changes to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) this summer. Gardner made the statement in a speech at the recently-held Lotteries Council Annual Conference.

UKGC to Focus on Full Implementation of White Paper Recommendations 

The consultations are done as part of the recommendations of the Gambling Act Review White Paper which was released in April. The document sets out over 60 areas of work for the UKGC, and the full implementation of the reforms will be the Commission’s top priority.

Gardner said they will adopt a less haste more speed approach in implementing the changes, but industry input also needs to be taken into account, which means the entire process will take time. But the Commission is determined to publish the results of the consultations this summer. By that time, pre-consultation engagement with stakeholders on several other policy areas will have begun, Gardner added.

UK Operators Must Observe Full Regulatory Compliance

Gardner said the UKGC will do everything in its power to properly implement the recommendations of the White Paper, noting that better data, better research, and better evidence will result in better results for consumers, operators, and all other industry stakeholders.

She reminded gambling firms to fully comply with the regulations and deliver on their duties and responsibilities as the UKGC would not hesitate to take action against offenders.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has expressed its commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Gambling Act review White Paper “as quickly as possible”, with the agency confirming that the first set of consultations related to changes that will be made to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) will be published this summer.

LCCP Consultations to Focus on Implementation 

UKGC Executive Director Tim Miller said they have more than 60 areas of work with regards to the implementation of the White Paper recommendations. He acknowledged that the full implementation of the new regulatory changes will likely take several years, but the Commission is keen on making rapid progress in some key areas. 

The UKGC aims to release the first set of White Paper-related LCCP consultations by August this year, but Miller noted that the consultations will revolve around how the changes will be implemented and will not in any way stir up debates on the White Paper.

Consultations Will Help Iron Out Potential Inconveniences

Miller said the UKGC has a legal obligation to consult with gambling operators on upcoming policy changes before they are implemented. He said input and feedback from stakeholders are crucial in developing an implementation system for the proposed reforms as it would help avoid any potential inconveniences. 

A new study has found that the UK’s multi-operator self-exclusion schemes, including GAMSTOP, have had positive impacts on players using them. The new study was conducted by IPSOS on behalf of GamCare as a follow-up to a baseline and short-term impact evaluation of self-exclusion schemes carried out in 2019.

Self-Exclusion Schemes Effective in Addressing Problem Gambling

The latest study involved interviews with 30 of the 42 users of self-exclusion schemes who previously participated in the 2019 evaluation. Participants in the follow-up research were mostly positive about the effectiveness of self-exclusion in reducing their problem gambling behavior. 

The majority of them also confirmed at the time of the interview that they were still self-excluded from gambling through one or more schemes.

The latest report noted the effectiveness of GAMSTOP, a free online gambling self-exclusion scheme that was mostly used by participants along with other schemes to reduce their problem gambling behavior.

Improvements Still Needed

Despite the success of the schemes, the study also identified several challenges, with some participants revealing they were able to continue gambling by circumventing the rules at land-based venues or by playing at unauthorized offshore gambling sites.

The report listed a number of recommendations to improve self-exclusion schemes, such as allowing for more flexible self-exclusion time lengths for customers, including a lifetime period.

Other recommendations relate to improvements to the operators’ marketing methods, with some participants reporting that they had received promotional materials from gambling firms despite being self-excluded.

Some of the participants also said they’d prefer automatic re-enrolment when their self-exclusion period lapses.

Spain’s gambling sector is preparing for major reforms this month, with the Royal Decree on Safer Gambling Environments likely to be approved by the Council of Ministers by the end of March. The Royal Decree proposes a string of measures aimed at preventing problematic gambling among vulnerable customers.

Safer Gambling Royal Decree Could be Signed by End of March

The Spanish agency with oversight of the gambling sector, the DGOJ, has been holding final plenary sessions on the directives contained in the Royal Decree, with DGOJ Director General Mikel Arana expressing confidence that it will get the green light from the Council of Ministers this month.

If approved, the Royal Decree would pave the way for the development of an optimal framework of customer protections which will be adopted federally by Spain’s 17 autonomous regions.

Operators will be Required to Categorize Gamblers

Among the measures proposed is for operators to set up a category system for gamblers and implement specific measures for those categorized as more vulnerable, including young players, people with gambling problems, or individuals registering with the self-exclusion scheme.  

The Royal Decree on Safer Gambling is a follow-up to a previous Royal Decree approved in 2021 focusing on advertising which imposed stringent restrictions on gambling ads as well as a ban on gambling sports sponsorships.