As the sector continues to navigate the pandemic and elevate social responsibility, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has detailed its latest public consultation as it seeks evidence and opinions to form ‘stronger requirements’ with regards to the identification of vulnerable or high-risk customers.
In its statement, the Commission emphasised the need for a diverse range of input from all industry stakeholders – tech, compliance, payment, customer welfare and management.
The consultation will aim to reach clarity on what it deems to be an increasingly pivotal element for the future of online UK gambling.
The Commission stated that it will review proposals that aim to ‘strengthen the expectations’ placed on operating an online gambling business, adding that incumbents need to prove their capacity to identify and register a consumer’s vulnerabilities.
The consultation will also examine which customer thresholds and affordability check requirements should be imposed on licensees and how they should be conducted.
The detection and improvement of customer conduct assessments had been previously highlighted as an area of ‘urgent action’ by the House of Lords Select Committee researching the ‘Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry’.
During 2020, the Commission issued guidance that operators undertake deeper assessments and regular customer care interventions of players engaging in online gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic – requirements endorsed and self-enforced by industry leadership.
