UKGC wants online gambling disputes system improved

jetset

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PLAYER COMPLAINTS SYSTEM NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, SAYS GAMBLING COMMISSION

Call for online gambling operators and ADRs to up their game.

Following a review of complaints systems in the UK gambling industry, regulator the Gamblikng Commission has called for an improvement in how customer (player) disputes are handled, and urged online gambling operators and ADRs (alternative dispute resolution providers) to up their game.

Commenting that the current system is "not working for consumers", the Commission says that players have reported that they have doubts about the the independence and transparency of the process, and find it difficult to access and time consuming to use.

Commision CEO Sarah Harrison says that the Commission is prepared to work with trade associations, ADRs, operators andplayers to ensure a more efficient and player-friendly evolves.

The study added that consumers have found the system difficult to access, time consuming to use and have also questioned whether the complaints process is “independent and transparent”.
In response, the UKGC has pledged to work with operators, ADR providers, trade associations and consumers to improve the overall system.

“Our findings present a strong case for the gambling industry to take swift action to ensure the way in which customer disputes are dealt with is fit for purpose, and importantly, places consumers first," Harrison said in a Commission statement Thursday.

“What we want to see is an industry that values and seeks out feedback from customers; that swiftly and effectively resolves customer complaints, and that uses the learning from those customers to raise its standards and deliver ever higher levels of customer service.

“Over the coming months we will be working closely with gambling operators, ADR providers, trade associations, consumers and their representatives. We will also be looking at complaints processes in other sectors where redress arrangements may be working better.

“But most importantly, we are also welcoming views on the proposals from consumers directly.”

In October last year the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it would be investigating online gambling companies over claims that firms are making it hard for players to collect their winnings.

The CMA said it would probe complaints from the Gambling Commission of unfair treatment of customers, including hard-to-win promotions and blocks on payouts.

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Actually, I spoke with them over the phone about this a couple of weeks ago. They are revisiting how they are dealing with ADRs - they pretty much addressed what was posted about. There are also a number of listed ADRs that have never handled a dispute - so they are looking into that as well.
 
Interesting read Max.

I can see why and where details of player complaints handled by individual ADRs would be useful to the UKGC (as an indicator of consistently bad operators for one) but I can't help but wonder why they would need to introduce Resolver.co.uk when they could simply make dispute accreditation conditional on the ADR providing a quarterly or even biannual return of cases dealt with, listing the player, the operator, a brief summary and the conclusion / solution reached.

That should give them the sort of information they need statistically for monitoring and planning, and a contact if UKGC investigators want to take matters further against a specific operator.
 
Yeah, I'm afraid the Resolver thing sits rather tepid with me. Do they want it just as a front end tracking system? If so, do they really distrust operators and the ADRs that much that they need a completely outside 3rd party tool to do this? There is some evidence in the Review to support that hypothesis: apparently casino operators are reporting barely more than 1/10th of the cases that are referred to the ADRs (based on number of cases received by the ADRs) and the UKGC seems to now be assuming that the operators cannot be trusted to report cases reliably. Adding yet another layer of case management -- assuming that Resolver can deliver even a fraction of what they expect it to -- seems a fairly cack-handed way of attempting to control a process you have neither the time nor resources to properly control.

Another issue that deeply concerns me is that the UKGC may be adopting a mindset that views the online casino business as if it were like any other consumer service, such as Power & Gas or airline ticket sales. That would be a herculean feat of self-delusion IMO.

And underlying all of this appears to be the assumption that the problems with the ADR system lies with the operators and/or the ADRs. Really? I'm thinking we may have a situation of tail-wags-dog here but maybe I'm just jaded and myopic after 20 years in the biz.
 
Did Casinomeister ever get ADR accreditation? I'm sure I saw it on the pending list at UKGC web site a while back.

I've spent the day looking at 888/Cassava sites and was shocked to see that none of them even have a nominated ADR in the terms and conditions. Disgusting practice.
 
Did Casinomeister ever get ADR accreditation? I'm sure I saw it on the pending list at UKGC web site a while back.

I've spent the day looking at 888/Cassava sites and was shocked to see that none of them even have a nominated ADR in the terms and conditions. Disgusting practice.

I have news about this coming up soon. :D
 
From a players perspective:
The main thing the UKGC seems to be missing is how to make Casinos work better with ADRs, after all if I would run into a problem with a Casino the option to file a PAB wouldn't help me if the Casino can get away with simply not responding.

Yes, players who hang out in places like Casinomeister know how to pick a Casino where there is a reasonable chance of a problem getting resolved if something should go wrong, but we've all seen it often enough that newer players get caught out by places like 888 and the likes.
 
... The main thing the UKGC seems to be missing is how to make Casinos work better with ADRs....

Yeah, the UKGC pretty much puts the blame for the shortcomings of the ADR system on the ADRs. Doubtless the ADRs aren't perfect but there are clear instances where the operators could and should do more, like dealing with an ADR of the player's choice for instance, assuming there is no financial hardship on them to do so. The reality is that the casinos will do what they are told to do -- generally speaking -- but few will volunteer to do anything they don't have to. In other words the UKGC needs to either require operator compliance on such issues or look elsewhere for changes in the system. The latter seems to be their preferred approach, hence the ADRs taking the brunt of the criticism in the Review.
 

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