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Gambling and online gambling have become increasingly popular in the last few years. In the UK, millions of players choose online casinos or sports betting activities as a means of entertainment, either regularly, occasionally, or seldom.
Nowadays, there are plenty of options on the market, from classic games, like roulette, poker, or baccarat, to a variety of new games, such as VR casinos or esports betting. Casino enthusiasts can choose from a big pool of brands in the UK market, yet the services and products they get depend on how local and national regulations unfold.
All gambling operators who want to legally offer their services to the general public must abide by the Gambling Act. The Gambling Act is basically the broad set of rules that determines what casinos, sports betting agencies, and any other gambling company can or cannot do.
Like any other legislation and set of rules, the Gambling Act could be subject to change depending on how the market evolves, changes in national policies, or the influence of lobbyists.
In the next few weeks, the current form of the Gambling Act will be subject to change, as some significant changes in gambling laws have been rumored since as early as 2019. As the Act will be back in review for publication in the next few weeks, here are some of the significant changes that the new laws might include:
Banning free bets
The new and revised Gambling Act might ban free bets. Anti-gambling lobbyists and related associations often see free bets as a harmful tool that could encourage addiction and the development of an irresponsible gambling pattern.
On the other hand, many have opposed such a measure, including the Betting and Gambling Council or BGC. The CEO of the Betting and Gambling Council, Michael Dugher, made an extensive declaration regarding the matter.
He also expressed fears that a ban on free bets might encourage players to turn to the black marker instead of choosing legit operators.
Maximum stakes limit
Conservative MPs fear that many problems related to gambling addiction are fueled by the lack of limits regarding online betting. That is why they call for such limits to be imposed as soon as possible and become part of the newly reviewed Gambling Act.
Carolyn Harris, MP, is just one of the many figures that strongly supports such reforms: “’Stakes and prize limits online would be a major step forward in reducing the harm caused by the sector,’ she said. ‘It is not clear why the Gambling Commission is not looking at this as a matter of urgency.”
Affordability checks
Affordability checks are also on the agenda for the Gambling Act review to prevent irresponsible gambling and gambling addiction. These checks would be similar to those imposed by banks for clients that want to secure a mortgage or a credit card.
For example, when new clients sign up on an online gambling website, they need to prove that they can afford to bet specific amounts of money.
Operators could also use affordability checks when they observe changes in the gambling behavior of their clients, including betting or losing significant amounts of money.
Opinions from industry people
CasinoAlpha’s CEO, Tudor Turiceanu, has been running a casino review service for several years. Asked by us what he thinks the consequences of the Gambling Act’s new statements, he declared: “We might very well see a huge rise of the black market, unregulated services, that will invade the gambling space. It’s possible that the number of unlicenced casinos will double, along with their active user base.”
How to spot secure gambling services
As the new regulations will be implemented soon, most online casino operators will have to obey new rules. However, the easiest way to verify if a casino is safe to use is by verifying if they are operating under an UKGC-approved license.
Legit online gambling operators display their licenses on their websites’ or apps’ first page. While checking a website page to see if a valid license is displayed is one of the best methods to assess if the gambling operator is complying with the legislation, there are also dedicated platforms that regularly review and asses online casinos.
Using dedicated platforms could give insight not only into choosing the best-licensed casino but also into which operators offer the most exciting and appealing bonuses or deals.
While the exact content of the new and revised Gambling Act is yet unknown to the public, many significant changes are rumored to occur as soon as possible. Some of the most important include banning free bets, imposing a maximum bets limit, and running affordability checks for online casinos and betting clients.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
