Operator oversight

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published its annual Compliance and Enforcement Report on Friday, revealing that it fined operators more than ￡30m ($39.5m) in the most recent financial year. The gambling regulator also published its first National Strategic Assessment, setting out the Commission’s priorities going forward.

five operators had their licenses suspended

As part of the UKGC’s mandate to govern gambling licensees, it commenced reviews on 49 gambling business personal license holders between April 2019 and March 2020. Five operators had their licenses suspended and another 11 had theirs revoked. The ￡30m in fines were generated from a dozen financial penalty packages for regulatory settlements.?

In all, there were 234 security audits and 33 website reviews. Across online and land-based operators, the UKGC conducted 350 compliance assessments and reviewed 630 reports of suspicious betting, insider information misuse, and breaches of sports rules.?

Key areas of focus

In the annual report, there is a significant emphasis on bolstering customer affordability checks, as this process can highlight people who may be at risk of gambling harm. Other aspects that the document addresses include customer interaction, social responsibility, anti-money laundering, and white label partnerships.

we expect our licensees to protect consumers from harm and treat them fairly”

Speaking about this latest report, UKGC chief executive Neil McArthur said: “Holding an operating license or a personal license is a privilege, not a right, and we expect our licensees to protect consumers from harm and treat them fairly.”

He went on to reiterate that there will be tough action taken against anyone not meeting the necessary standards. Finally, McArthur emphasized that there is now more of a spotlight on personal management license holders to fulfill their responsibilities.

Data-driven approach

The first-ever National Strategic Assessment, published on Friday, looks at the latest gambling data in the UK. The document considers numerous case studies and sources in order to identify current gambling issues and risks and outlines its priorities to address them. There has already been some progress to date in this area.?

McArthur talked about how this document will be the foundation of the UKGC’s work going forward. With the upcoming review of the Gambling Act, the UKGC will be ready to work with the government when the time comes to address the current issues in the gambling sector.