Commission begins review of conditions and codes

The UK Gambling Commission has started a review into strengthening the social responsibility and player protection/harm minimisation elements of its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, and its Guidance to Licensing Authorities. This review was referenced at page 8 of the LCCP responses document published on 31 March.

The review, which is being led by Gambling Commission Commissioner Rachel Lampard, takes into account:

• the Secretary of State’s call for aspects of the Association of British Bookmaker’s betting code to be mandated
• the Commission’s work with the Advertising Standards Authority on the marketing and advertising of free bets and bonuses
• the need for significant progress in establishing national self-exclusion schemes for both remote and non-remote gamblers.

The regulator will also be consulting on aspects of the regulation of bingo. This is in response to:

• recent interest in the provision of bingo outside of the environment with which it is normally associated
• the risk that bingo will be offered under the auspices of a bingo premises licence despite the fact that bingo is unlikely to be the primary activity in those premises
• recent technical developments related to the offer of electronic bingo.