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English in United Kingdom
by Glenn Baird - March 26, 2020
Neil McArthur, Chief Executive of the UKGC, the UK’s gambling regulator has released a statement providing advice and direction for gambling operators in the country.
He began his message with a show of support for operators, reinforcing his understanding that there is likely to be a significant impact on businesses, customers and employees, given the current set of circumstances.
McArthur went on to admit that there had been an increase in the number of customers accessing “online slots, poker, casino gaming and virtual sports.”
He reminded operators that: “Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling has always been a major priority and we are very mindful – as you should be – of the fact that the risks of harm arising from online gambling have increased as a result of recent events.”
As a result of this he made it clear that operators had to be thorough with their affordability checks and extremely aware of their own social responsibilities, something that is even more important to get right at a time when many of us find ourselves with a reduction in income.
Marketing was mentioned with the message very strong that operators, “must not exploit the current situation for marketing purposes and should be very cautious when seeking to cross-sell online gaming products to customers who signed up with you in order to bet.”
He added to this by stating that affiliates must be doing the same.
In the off chance that the message has not been made clear enough McArthur promised: “If we see irresponsible behaviour we will step in immediately. So, whilst I know that the current climate is unprecedented, gambling operators must play their part in making sure that people are kept safe.”
This message comes just days after a meeting with the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) who have called for a maximum spend limit of £50 per day to be established.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland sits to the north-west of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom shares a border with The Republic of Ireland and has coasts on the Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea and English Channel. The population of the UK is approaching the 67.6 million mark leading to a fairly densely populated land mass. The gambling sector in the United Kingdom is entirely regulated and licensed by the UKGC – the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Should players resident In the UK wish to gamble with foreign based operators there is no history of this being treated as a criminal offence, but high levels of protection exist for UK residents playing with UK licensed operators.
Disclaimer:
The above information is what we believe to be the the legal status of online gambling, however information on this topic is limited and hard to find. We accept no liability for any errors or ommissions. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that they know the legality of online gambling in their country before engaging with any online gambling service.