The UKGC may soon have powers to force ISPs to block non-UKGC casinos. We also look at a request to make affordability checks softer. (Photo by Philipp Katzenberger on Unsplash)
The government has proposed a new law called the ‘Criminal Justice Bill’ that would let the UK Gambling Commission force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block websites that break British gambling rules or seem unsafe.
The issue of black market online casinos accepting UK players while operating without UKGC licensing is a hot topic. Consequently, there have been calls to tackle the situation.
In April 2023, I published an article covering the ‘The Allure of Non-UK Casinos’. It is something that has become a niche in the UK mainly because players want to bet using cryptocurrencies – a feature not available in UK casinos to date.
As you can imagine, the new ‘Criminal Justice Bill’ is bad news for anyone in the United Kingdom currently gambling online using crypto.
The bill has already passed two votes in Parliament. If it passes a third vote, the House of Lords will review it. If they approve it, too, it becomes law. The new law would let the Gambling Commission go to court to order companies to block access to risky gambling sites, even ones based abroad. Right now, they mainly ask companies to do this voluntarily, which does not work well.
Chris Philp, the Minister for Policing, spoke in favour of the bill. He said it would help shut down foreign sites that operate illegally in the UK and compete unfairly with legal British gambling companies. Philp argued the bill is necessary to fight unlawful online gambling and other web crimes.
Will banning IPs be an effective tool?
I am not so sure. There’s a slight chink in the armour here. Players can still use VPNs to search and access non-UKGC online casinos. Plus, we have a guide to VPN-friendly casinos, like many other online casino portals. It is not difficult for UK players to find crypto casinos if they want to play using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. And as mentioned, if a gambling entertainment website accepts crypto, it is not operating under the UKGC framework.
The main concern, however, is that those with problem gambling habits who have already self-excluded permanently through GamStop can still access non-UKGC casinos online. Banning these IPs would prevent those players from accessing these gambling sites without a VPN. But that’s about it. I would say if someone is addicted to gambling, they probably know all the tricks in the books, and VPNs are certainly a workaround and one Australian online casino players use regularly.
Therefore, is it really worth the effort? I’ll leave the answer to that question for you to decide. I guess the aim here is for the government to show that they are trying to do something about the growing UK black market casino scene.
BGC Requested Government Will Not Overcomplicate Affordability Checks
A petition against upcoming affordability checks that would investigate gamblers’ finances is triggering discussion in government. Critics say the checks, meant to identify problem gambling, go too far. Now a parliamentary committee will examine concerns raised in the petition. It seems that an earlier report I covered ‘UKGC White Paper Clarification for Affordability Checks‘ in which Andrew Rhodes suggests affordability checks will only affect 3% of gamblers and 20% will need to undergo soft checks has come up against a group that disagrees with this statement.
Betting Group Urges UK to Keep Gambling Checks Simple
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has asked the UK government to stick to its promise of easy financial checks for online gamblers. They commented after a parliamentary committee said it will discuss the issue.
Last year, Nevin Truesdale started an online petition against affordability checks. These long investigations of gamblers’ finances are meant to spot problematic habits. But Truesdale said they wrongly target people instead of actual bad behavior. His petition got over 100,000 signatures. So on February 26, the UK Parliament Petitions Committee will debate it.
The BGC supports the petition. They agree simple financial checks should only go to gamblers showing warning signs. Most gamblers are responsible and shouldn’t deal with complicated monitoring, they said.
BGC Head Praises Petition Creator
“Checks should focus on those at risk of harm so operators can take quick action” said BGC CEO Michael Dugher. He congratulated Truesdale for bringing common sense to the debate often dominated by anti-gambling voices. Dugher said intrusive affordability rules could shift gamblers toward illegal sites. The BGC wants a UK pilot program first. The UK gambling industry brings in £7.1 billion yearly and supports 110,000 jobs, Dugher pointed out. Losing customers to the black market could damage that, he said.
In related news, the Gambling Commission recently fined the company Gamesys £6 million for weak background checks on customers and depending too much on outside groups to make sure it follows anti money laundering rules.
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