SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Visiting Bacta’s SR Exchange conference, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) highlighted some areas where Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) seem to be lagging.
The regulator’s Director of Policy, Bryony Sheldon, addressed the fully-booked Bacta Social Responsibility Exchange venue in Leeds by opening up with an overview of the AGC shortcomings that the UKGC witnessed in 2024.
AGC on-site compliance
UK-wide venue visits and head office assessments conducted by the regulator last year revealed that AGCs have generally adopted responsible practices to prevent underage gambling on-site.
When it comes to adult customer interactions however, a number of staff members across multiple different venues were observed by the UKGC only to be concluded that some were not fully aware as to why customer interactions were being conducted.
Sheldon reminded shareholders present at the conference that knowledge is a key criteria in the education of staff. She said that every employee working with customers should be capable of recognising signs of gambling-related harms, and know how to proceed once they identify the markers.
Sheldon added that employers should be frequently evaluating their staff’s knowledge and competence, which the UKGC found was not the case with operators on several occasions.
Industry talks continue
As expected, the UKGC Policy Director’s speech did not go without a mention of policies. Sheldon touched upon the ongoing consultations on gaming machines – part of the 2023 Gambling Review White Paper.
In the policy paper, it was recommended that the UKGC review its gaming machine technical standards across Category B and C machines, in order to re-evaluate the role of session limits and safer gambling tools.
The UKGC has since launched a number of public consultations on the matter, with the latest one opening earlier in January and scheduled to close on 20 May.
Sheldon expressed hers and the UKGC’s gratitude towards shareholders for the constant feedback loop at the pre-consultation level, which has led to several “positive impacts” on the finalised proposal, including changing the implementation timeline from 18 to 24 months.
Bringing his speech to an end, Sheldon reiterated the importance of casting a vote for the creation of an informed policy that equally balances between consumer benefits and costs to industry.
