Reports

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has recently announced the largest-ever fine imposed on a gambling operator in the country but the lack of more serious regulatory measures has been raising questions regarding the efficiency of the watchdog. Following the announcement that it handed a record £19.2 million to William Hill, the UK gambling regulatory body faced a wave of criticism, with people asking what a gambling giant would have to do in order to see its operating licence suspended by the UKGC. The disparagers of the Gambling Commission believe that…

British people suffering from gambling-related harm are much more susceptible to rising economic pressures in the country, a new report has claimed. At a time when the most recent fines imposed on local gambling operators by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), including the record-breaking penalty imposed on one of the largest companies in the sector, William Hill, the independent UK charity GamCare published a detailed analysis of the industry, revealing some concerning details about the nation. Recently, the charity organisation unveiled a YouGov survey that outlines how Brits are sometimes…

The scale of affordability checks imposed on gambling and racing punters has been described as disproportionate by various industry and market analysts following increased criticism faced by the competent authorities. The country’s gambling regulatory body has also been condemned for its position on the issue, especially after a recent survey revealed that 1 in 6 of its respondents have been asked to provide financial documents as evidence for their source of wealth. Recently, the chief executive officer of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Andrew Rhodes, has shared that the implementation…

Opinion piece – David Williams, Director of Public Affairs at the Rank Group. In a decade or so, when public policy students reflect on the period leading up to the publication of the Government’s long-awaited, widely-discussed and fiercely-debated White Paper, those students will be asked to reflect on the data that was provided, used and reported on as part of the process. And they might be forgiven for wishing that they had chosen to study something else. The issue of data, evidence and research in the gambling debate has been…

In the years after the door to online gambling was opened in the UK, the industry has boomed amid intense lobbying in favour of the sector in front of local lawmakers. However, the nation is also living with the menace of problem gambling and gambling-related harm although there has been alarming evidence about the rising gambling participation and gambling addiction rates in the country. Several years ago, Ireland-based gambling operator Paddy Power led the transformation of the betting industry into a digital universe where anyone with a smartphone had access…

At the end of November, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), published a report presenting evidence about the most recent changes in the country’s gambling landscape. The publication reflected on the shape and size of the UK gambling industry, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the impact of macro-economic trends on customers’ gambling behaviours. The UKGC revealed that, according to the Government’s Participation Survey 2021 to 2022 annual report, approximately 15 million people gamble on products licensed under the country’s Gambling Act 2005, approximately the same number…

It seems that no one can really tell what is happening with Genesis Affiliates Programme. The company has been keeping its silence lately but an increasing number of its partners are becoming more and more vocal about an ongoing issue with their due payments, after not receiving them in a few months. The problem with the affiliate programme’s payments has put a question mark over the company’s future which seems more and more uncertain after many of the operator’s partners have shared their concerns about the lack of payments over…

For a few months now, underage individuals in the UK have been no longer able to purchase products of the National Lottery. The rule change that was implemented by the UK Government in October 2021 was aimed at tackling the in-person sale of National Lottery tickets and scratchcards for people aged 16 and 17, who have so far been able to buy such products. As unveiled by the competent authorities last year, the minimum age for playing the National Lottery and purchasing scratchcards has been raised from 16 to 18.…

At the beginning of April, Government sources confirmed that local lawmakers are likely to propose affordability checks for vulnerable gamblers who bet online as part of the long-awaited overhaul of the country’s gambling laws. Days later, the UK gambling regulator confirmed it would launch a consultation on the proposed affordability checks for the industry. Although the measure has been considered as part of the UK Government’s efforts to provide better protection to problem gamblers, not everyone was glad to learn that. According to Government sources, the proposed affordability checks would…

Earlier this month, the UK advertising watchdog announced that gambling and betting operators in the country will not be allowed to use celebrities, including top football players and other athletes, reality TV stars and social media influencers, in their marketing campaigns. The move has been taken as part of the regulator’s policy aimed at protecting the most vulnerable social groups from gambling-related harm. The latest changes, set out by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), also included a ban on displaying specific clubs’ football kits and stadiums in gambling ads,…