SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has revised the requirements of the Social Responsibility Code Provision on remote customer interactions.
The notification came this afternoon, alerting licensees of changes announced to its April update on new requirements of the Social Responsibility Code Provision “to ensure that remote operators do more to identify customers at risk of harm”.
Operators were advised that the majority of new requirements announced in April will come into force as planned on 12 September
Those new rules will compel operators to monitor a specific range of indicators, as a minimum, to help identify gambling harms.
Operators will be required to evaluate their interactions and ensure they interact with consumers at least at the “level of problem gambling for their relevant activity”
In addition, operators must make certain that record-keeping of evidence of customer interaction evaluations is available to UKGC compliance teams undertaking routine casework.
However, following careful consideration, the UKGC has decided to delay requirements on operators “taking timely action where indicators of vulnerability are identified and to take account of the Commission’s approach to vulnerability as set out in the Commission’s guidance”.
Furthermore, it has delayed the requirement for operators to prevent marketing and the take-up of new bonus offers where there are strong indicators of harm.
Seeking to finalise amendments of the Social Responsibility Code Provision, the Commission announced that it would launch a six-week consultation on guidance beginning late September.
The regulator said all views expressed in response to this consultation will be considered before a decision is taken on the contents of the guidance on the new requirements.
Subject to consultation, the Commission’s provisional intention is to publish new Social Responsibility guidance on the requirements in December 2022 – with further changes to be implemented by February 2023.
