UKGC Proposes Changes To Provide Better Protection To Players

Last Updated on July 8, 2018 Author:Stefan Nedeljkovic

UK Gambling CommissionThe growth of the online gambling market in the United Kingdom has continued to increase with every passing year.

As the market expands, the challenges faced by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has continued to increase.

The UKGC has come up with a three year plan to make massive improvements to the iGaming market in the country and recently made public its plan for the year 2018-2019.

The UKGC has established a number of objectives that it wants to address in the coming months which include addressing unfair terms and practices, better regulation for promotions and advertising, streamlining the dispute and complaint handling process and a review of the current codes of practice.

The UKGC wants iGaming operators to do more to address the issue of problem gambling as stats show that the number of minors with gambling addictions across the UK is growing at a rapid pace. The UKGC has also asked iGaming operators to implement more robust age verification methods to ensure that no minors gain access to their online gaming services.

One of the biggest changes that iGaming operators will have to make is that they can no longer offer free demo games to players who have not completed their age verification process. iGaming operators will also have to pay attention to running affordability checks on their customers before setting financial restrictions on their accounts.

Crackdown On Manipulative Advertising Practices

iGaming operators have continued to increase their advertising budget with every passing year as they continue to battle it out for market share. The gambling watchdog has found that a number of iGaming operators use manipulative advertising campaigns to target minors, problem gamblers and individuals who will easily buy into the promotion of free spins and free cash bonuses.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has sent a strong message to licensed iGaming operators in the country by issuing strict fines on operators who violate gambling advertising regulations. The UKGC has also asked online operators to stop using the term free’ spins or free’ cash when advertising a welcome bonus. Operators will be allowed to offer a welcome bonus but they cannot use the term free.

Advertising Standards Authority

This is because the UKGC found that most iGaming operators advertise free bonuses and free cash but have a number of stipulations in their terms and conditions which make the bonuses anything but free and end up fooling players who rarely take the time to read the terms and conditions.

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Stefan nicknamed "El Kepa" he has been a passionate gamer and online poker player for more than fifteen years after realising Biology was no longer his thing...

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