The regulatory body for the UK gambling industry – the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) – has urged the largest gambling operators in the country to make sure their customers are well protected against negative effects related to gambling. The local regulator further shared that local gambling companies need to ensure a trustworthy market to the public.
The UK Gambling Commission has issued a warnings, saying that all operators that do not protect existing and potential customers risk their long-term existence in the British gambling industry.
Earlier on Tuesday, the leaders in the gambling industry gathered for the annual Raising Standards conference of the Gambling Commission in Birmingham. The event has been held as the watchdog’s strategy to make gambling companies care more about the provision of fairer and safer experience for its customers.
The Conference gathered at one place some of the Commission-regulated gambling businesses’ senior representatives as well as other regulatory bodies and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports. Apart from gambling operators’ executives, the Conference was also attended by official representatives of GambleAware, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, etc.
The conference was opened by Bill Moyes, the Chairman of the UKGC, who explained that gambling has seen public support starting to decline, while the concerns related to gambling and its possible negative effects is constantly increasing. Mr. Moyes shared that the society has shared its increasing worries related to problem gambling and gambling addiction, potential impact of gambling on under-aged persons and more vulnerable individuals, as well as gambling advertising.
According to the UK Gambling Commission’s Chairman, the local gambling market could be seen as a responsible part of the country’s entertainment industry, which is ready to invest a lot of efforts in order to improve the current status quo, and also to prevent further gambling-related harm and treat people who have been hurt by possible negative effects related to gambling.
UKGC CEO Speech in Birmingham
The Chief Executive Officer of the UKGC – Sarah Harrison – emphasized on the fact that progress in gambling market’s regulation has been made, but unfortunately the industry has not done much to make sure that customers are provided with safer and fairer gambling. According to Ms. Harrison, the bar has been set too low by companies as far as fair treatment of customers is concerned.
The UKGC CEO said that unreasonable behaviour will no more be accepted, and fairness and transparency are essential for providing the customer experience at its best. She further explained that the Gambling Commission was willing to restate its commitment to make the UK gambling market the best one on a global scale, with customers kept safe and operators being responsible and fair to players.
The British gambling watchdog’s boss said that the Commission is aimed at raising the standards every year and that the regulatory body is to work in collaboration with all gambling industry players in order to reduce harm. Ms. Harrison also warned that anyone who fail to deliver safe and transparent conditions to customers could find themselves in rather “uncomfortable position”, as their long-term future in the British gambling industry would be endangered.