UKGC new rules for “At Risk Customers” now in play

By Simon Wright, Last updated Jun 30, 2023

On Monday this week, the UK Gambling Commission brought in new rules covering “At Risk Customers”, rules which requires licensees to do more in the way of identifying at risk customers and in turn implement proactive measures to ensure players are protected from ‘gambling harm’.

Indeed this new ruling has already been noticed by several members of the forum here on Casinomeister, with some players being subjected to source of wealth checks by online casinos, even though they have no withdrawal pending.

Furthermore, in the William Hill – no payout, no withdrawal after win thread, one poster has explained that he has been informed that he cannot afford to gamble with an operator, after making a deposit of a bank busting £25.

The new rules now being implemented which were announced back in April earlier this year, require all UKGC licensees to perform the following:

• monitor a specific range of indicators, as a minimum, to identify gambling harm
• flag indicators of harm and take action in a timely manner
• implement automated processes for strong indicators of harm
• prevent marketing and the take-up of new bonuses for at risk customers
• evaluate their interactions and ensure they interact with consumers at least at the level of problem gambling for the relevant activity
• evidence their customer interaction evaluation to the Gambling Commission during routine casework
• comply with these requirements at all times, this includes ensuring the compliance of third-party providers.

Upon announcing the above guidelines, Andrew Rhodes the Chief Executive of the UKGC stated: “Time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm. These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit.”

“We expect operators to identify and tackle gambling harms with fast, proportionate and effective action and we will not hesitate to take tough action on operators who fail to do so.”

Earlier today we created a poll on the forum concerning the Source of Wealth requirements and how they affect UK and EU based players, please take a minute of your time to check it out and take part. The poll on the forum can be found here: Source of Wealth Requirements Poll

Simon Wright

Simon Wright has been both a player and an observer of the online casino industry for over 15 years. His knowledge of the online casino industry – to include sports is massive. Not many folks have the experience or his knowledge about online gambling. His adoration of football is also noted. He has painted his house blue (Chelsea) and annoys his neighbors with local football songs on game days.