UK Gambling Commission Boss Rejects Claim Regulator Is Forcing Affordability Checks
Posted on: February 13, 2023, 06:51h.
Last updated on: February 13, 2023, 06:51h.
There have been reports recently that more gamblers and bettors in the UK are having to submit affordability checks at the insistence of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). However, the gaming regulator’s CEO, Andrew Rhodes, has rejected the idea that it’s responsible.
Rhodes insisted in a speech last week during the World Regulatory Briefing at ICE that the rumor that it’s calling for greater affordability checks is “nonsense.” He said that the regulator has not requested operators implement blanket checks, but added that assessing financial worthiness was always part of the operator’s responsibilities.
Rhodes also downplayed the idea that any type of affordability check would cause damage to the gaming industry. This is despite a decrease in revenue and a survey by YouGov, the agency the UKGC relies heavily on for research, that shows otherwise.
Not Our Fault
A number of bettors, according to the Racing Post and other media outlets, have come under increased scrutiny lately by operators. There are reports that they have to turn over bank statements and tax records not only for themselves but, in some cases, for close friends and family.
If this is happening, it’s not the UKGC’s doing, according to Rhodes. He said that all operators must have systems in place to “identify people who may be at risk of harm,” and this must explain the recent wave of odd requests. He stressed that the regulator doesn’t require gaming operators to ask for bank statements, pay stubs or other intrusive financial data.
However, the UKGC has collected tens of millions of dollars in fines and “settlements” from operators recently for various failings. Among these have been, in some instances, a lack of proper UKGC-required scrutiny of a player’s finances. As a result, operators may feel pressure to collect the data to avoid fines.
Gambling spend in the UK is on the decline, although Rhodes doesn’t believe that this is a result of tighter regulations. This is despite research to the contrary and assertions by some British lawmakers that the UKGC is “out of control.”
In his speech last week, Rhodes added that the regulator’s goal is for the gaming industry to have “frictionless checks” that don’t require consumers to “present evidence” of their financial status. However, he didn’t explain how he envisions “evidence-free” proof of someone’s economic stability.
More White Paper Delays
The UK government has been undergoing a lot of reshuffles in the past year, all of which have already delayed the presentation of the gambling white paper. New chaos a week ago added speculation that another delay was on the horizon.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among other changes, moved Member of Parliament (MP) Michelle Donelan to the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). She was previously in charge of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which had a leading role in the white paper.
In addition to Donelan, MP Paul Scully also moved to become part of the DSIT. Scully is also a staunch supporter of commonsense gambling, having stated previously that the government doesn’t need to tell people how they can spend on the activity.
These and the other changes come only about six weeks before the end of the parliamentary session. The UK Parliament goes on recess on March 30 and returns on April 17.
Optimism is waning that the white paper will be released before the recess, despite assertions from the government that it is coming. The DCMS, following Scully’s departure, has no gambling minister, which means a delay is almost inevitable.
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Source: casino.org
