Gambling Commission seeks views on changes to regulations in Great Britain

Britain’s Gambling Commission has launched a second set of consultations into proposals aimed at making gambling safer.

The consultations launched on Wednesday (Nov. 29) will run for 12 weeks and include topics relating to socially responsible incentives, customer-led safer gambling tools, improved transparency on customer funds in the event of insolvency, and changes to the frequency of regulatory returns submissions.

The first aims to ensure that incentives such as free bets and bonuses are constructed in a socially responsible manner and do not encourage excessive or harmful gambling. This would be achieved through a proposed ban or limit on the use of wagering requirements in promotional offers, as well as a proposed ban on the mixing of product types within incentives, such as between sports betting and casino.

The consultation on customer-led tools will look at proposals to give all players the opportunity to control their gambling through pre-commitment tools such as deposit limits, while the improved transparency consultation will consider a proposed licensing rule that obliges all operators to clearly inform their customers when their funds are not protected.

The Commission is also seeking feedback on proposed changes to reporting rules that would require operators to submit regulatory returns on a quarterly basis rather than annually, as well as a proposal to remove obsolete levy language from licensing rules following the recent consultation into a new levy.

“The White Paper set out that a top government priority is ensuring that gambling happens safely. We share this commitment and today's consultations propose how we can deliver on it,” said Tim Miller, executive director for research and policy at the Gambling Commission.

“We need as many people as possible to have their say on any potential changes to the rules operators must follow. These views will ultimately help shape gambling regulation across the country.”

This latest round of consultation closes on 21 February 2024, with the Commission soon to launch a further consultation relating to clarity and transparency in the way financial penalties are calculated, and financial key event reporting by licensees to ensure the Commission has the right information for risk-based regulation.

Earlier this year the Commission opened its first set of consultations to implement proposals by Government in its Gambling Act Review White Paper.