UK Gambling Commission Sets New Rules to Protect Consumers’ Rights

At the beginning of this month, the British gambling regulator published a new set of rules that will improve consumer laws and ensure gambling operators treat players fairly. These new rules will take effect later this year starting on October 31st. Taking action against gambling companies that break the regulator’s rules will be much simpler than it has been in the past.

The new set of rules primarily focuses on preventing gambling operators from misleading their customers through promotions with non-transparent terms. The new rules also strive to disallow irresponsible advertising practices. Preventing withdrawal delays is another crucial step towards making gambling fairer and safer. Apart from this, the regulator set a new deadline for resolving complaints. Namely, operators will have eight weeks to respond to their customers’ complaints.

“Protecting the interests of consumers is a priority for us and needs to be a priority for gambling operators,” said UKGC’s Neil McArthur.

The Commission’s new rules shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone. UK’s best PayPal casinos have already implemented the regulator’s strategies to make gambling safer and fairer. Moreover, the UK Gambling Commission warned operators countless times before about misleading adverts.

This year, the regulator fined several gambling companies for breaching advertising rules. The company that breached the rules most recently is LeoVegas. The Commission examined 41 operator’s adverts and found that all of them were misleading. As a result, LeoVegas received a £600,000 penalty.

In efforts to raise the standard in the gambling industry, the UKGC will continue its collaboration with the Competition and Markets Authority. The Advertising Standards Authority and the Committees of Advertising Practice will help the regulator ensure that “marketing communications for gambling are fair, do not mislead, and are not targeted at vulnerable people.”

The new set of rules will take effect this autumn. Gambling companies that fail to comply with them will face tougher action from the UK Gambling Commission.