Gambling in the UK has grown in popularity massively in the last decade. Land-based casinos created online platforms to allow players comfort while spending money. After the online gambling market started to rise, numerous pirate casinos and fraudsters started to trick people into signing up for "unforgettable bonuses".
In reality, people were fooled by ads to give their sensitive data to entities that would sell them on the black market.
The UK authorities devised a plan to create an administrative body to prevent these from happening again. Keep reading to find out how valuable the UKGC is and how protected you are.
What is the UK Gambling Commission?
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission is a regulatory authority that manages all casino businesses in the territory.
It was established in 2004, and since then, its primary purpose has been to ensure a safe market for punters.
How do they do it?
This administrative body licenses all gambling operators who want to sell their products in Great Britain. Suppose you have a casino and want to appear in the UK gambling market. In that case, you need to gather various paperwork and comply with an enormous amount of rules only to be viable for the first analysis.
If the UKGC gives you a positive answer, you may proceed with finishing up the paperwork, installing the protocols on your casino website, and, of course, paying taxes. So, the body plays a vital role in the UK's infrastructure because it makes casinos pay incredibly high taxes.
These taxes can be used for whatever is needed in the country. The authority also monitors compliance and investigates potential breaches and fines when necessary. The latest revocation of legal rights happened this year for In Touch Games Limited services due to multiple law breaking causes.
Rules casinos must follow
We will present the basic set of rules that directly impact you as a gambler or non-gambler because their list of regulations is extensive.
The first thing UKGC obliges casinos and developers to do is to invest in fair testing. Online casino games should always have Random Number Generator Protocols. If independent testing agencies find games coded to make people lose, the casino will be fined, and their license will be revoked.
Know your customer protocols
Online casinos must have the KYC protocols in place and verify each new member has the minimum legal age for gambling. Besides helping the prevention of underage gambling, casinos can detect false or fraudulent accounts.
Each platform should also have all its terms, conditions, and rules displayed on the site. These must be easy to read and comprehend, without hidden terms.
Responsible gambling tools
Each online punting website must have Responsible Gambling Measures. If you, as a player, decide to take a break, monitor your spending habits or create limits, legal UK casinos can offer these services.
The self-exclusion programme is one of the best and most helpful things the UKGC adopted. You can temporarily (or permanently) close your account on any casino, and others will also block you from playing.
The latest UKGC changes
After the pandemic hit the country and we started spending more time online, due to our inability to go outside, the body blocked credit card usage in gambling. The decision positively impacted numerous gamblers because they could only use debit cards or e-wallets.
They also obliged casinos to ensure anti-money-laundering protocols and increase their site security with encryptions.
They are currently debating to adopt another Responsible Gambling Tool. The "Single Point of View" idea lists all players, their spending habits, and opened accounts on UK wagering sites with all gambling businesses that pay taxes. The topic is sensitive, and people are not thrilled to have their data exposed to all casinos. This measure is supposed to help casinos see addiction patterns early and limit your access to gambling.
Online safety always comes first!
Online gamblers in the UK should be aware of the necessity of undergoing a security check of the operator before registering on a website, as emphasized by Casino Alpha, in order to choose a safe and licensed site.
They note that UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has put up extensive new rules aimed at shielding consumers from harm caused by gambling. These regulations prohibit VIP programs, place a £2 maximum bet on online slots, have stricter age verification standards, place limitations on marketing and advertising, and examine affordability.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.