UKGC Publishes Three-Year Five-Point Plan

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Nov 17, 2017

Fairer and safer gambling over the next three years, UKGC Chair says

The UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) new three-year, five-point strategy published Tuesday will be of interest to all industry stakeholders.

The strategy, described as ambitious by Gambling Commission Chair Bill Moyes, sets out the regulator’s focus on five priority areas:

1. Protecting the interests of consumers.

Includes, but is not limited to, the UKGC’s expectation that operators intervene to make play safe and to protect consumers at risk. Tougher and broader sanctions will be levied on operators (including lotteries) who fail to treat customers fairly and make gambling safe.

2. Preventing harm to consumers and the public.

The UKGC expects operators/stake holders to provide consumers with more information on gambling and the associated risks along with better controls to manage their gambling.

3. Raising standards in the gambling market.

The UKGC expects effective and independent arrangements to resolve consumer complaints and disputes, among other areas.

4. Optimising returns to good causes from lotteries.

Providing an example, the UKGC said it will “regulate in a way that delivers a healthy National Lottery for customers and good causes, and plan for the competition for a new licence to be awarded for 2023.”

5. Improving the way the Commission regulates.

The UKGC has committed to improving the way it taps into consumer and public issues to inform action; it will help industry comply but take precautionary action where necessary, and will give independent and well evidenced advice to government on gambling and its impact.

More detail on these five priorities can be watched on the UKGC’s YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/ykX33m-L-q4

Bill Moyes, Chair of the Gambling Commission, said:

“This is an ambitious strategy to deliver fairer and safer gambling over the next three years. We can only be successful in this by engaging with consumers and by working closely with all our regulatory partners and the industry.

“In the same way that this strategy challenges the industry, we also challenge ourselves – as the regulator – to deliver effective, targeted and innovative regulation.

“At the end of three years we expect to see an industry that strives continuously to raise their standards, treat customers fairly, and protect vulnerable people.”

The full text of the Gambling Commission’s “Strategy 2018-2021 – making gambling fairer and safer” can be accessed at this link: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Strategy-2018-2021.pdf

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