Catch up on the latest UKGC and general gambling entertainment headlines circulating in the UK media – big fines, new regs, and gambling as bans! (Image courtesy of Annie Spratt on Unsplash)
It was in May the last time I released a UK casino gambling gossip update. Since the White Paper saga has calmed down, we have seen some minor news reports coming out of the country.
Also in May, there was news of a Regulatory Collaboration with the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA), and a report covering mixed opinions on the White Paper. Plus, Flutter pitched in on the UK Gambling Act’s White Paper review after its Q1 financial results. If any of those news stories tickle your fancy, then check them out via our gambling legislation hub here.
As for the latest UK gambling entertainment gossip over the course of April, I bring you news of a new UKGC hub for operators, a £2 million UKGC fine for VideoSlots, and a famous UK newspaper that has taken a hard stance against gambling advertising in its ad columns both online and offline.
UKGC Creates Website Hub for Operators
As part of the continued tightening up and objective to continue to offer transparency, the UKGC has created a new website hub for operators.
The aim is to help operators in the UK understand how to enter into B2B business contracts with third-party entities. Some of these suppliers and white-label sites may not hold UKGC licensing, yet gambling entertainment companies can still make deals with these companies as long as the country’s regulatory framework covers the operations,
Under a section called the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), operators can now see, in full, the rules they need to follow in order to maintain compliance. In particular, the concern is that some operators have failed to ensure that when using third-party companies’ due diligence checks are sometimes overlooked or missed.
At some point, an operator may have tried to shift the blame for the lack of compliance onto a white-label platform being used to supply betting services. However, the UKGC has made it clear the accountability to follow regulations is on the operator.
The bottom line: Operators must make sure the white-label platform or third-party entity used passes all UKGC regulatory laws. The UKGC hub makes this clear as well as outlines how to follow the rules.
UK Online Gambling Site Fined £2 million
The UKGC fined Videoslots Casino a total of £2 million for AML and Social Responsibility failures. The period for the fines is between October 2019 and February 2022. As for the failures, it is pretty much a similar scenario we have seen most casinos fined millions of UK sterling in the past. This adds to the balloon of UKGC fines over the past 8 years.
Here are some of the highlights of the latest fine dished out by the UKGC:
- Failed to trigger indicators showing some players were showing risk signs of problem gambling.
- Problem gambling risk reviews were either not carried out in a timely manner or not thorough enough
- Failed to conduct the correct AML checks such as proof of earnings in a timely manner or failed to trigger initiations of checks
- According to the UKGC report, there was also not a sufficient number of staff to carry out AML checks
What should players think about these fines? The UKGC’s continuing multi-million sterling fines should give players confidence that the regulatory authority in the UK is ensuring a safe playing environment. Will the cost of the fine be passed down to players? Probably not, because the UK market is so competitive.
Top 5 UKGC Online Casinos
- 888Casino
- LeoVegas Casino
- William Hill Casino
- Platin Casino
- Mr Green Casino
Guardian Newspaper Bans Gambling Advertising
Perhaps one of the more reputable newspapers in the UK is The Guardian. Let’s be honest though, even this newspaper has some terrible journalists pushing personal narratives without proper research (just an opinion piece that makes them look stupid) or failing to cover the truth of the matter. They are all the same in many respects, so it is what it is.
In this newspaper’s latest show of puffery and to gain attention, it has decided to ban gambling advertising across its website and print. The newspaper has taken a bold stance saying that it does not want to risk being a source of gambling addiction or financial ruin.
What do I think? Each to their own. If the newspaper’s policymakers feel the way they do about the risks of harm gambling advertising can cause, then it has every right to ban these ads.
Leave A Comment