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Making gambling safer is at the core of what we do. Find out more about how we continue to make the gambling industry safer.
Published: 8 September 2020
Last updated: 7 April 2022
This version was printed or saved on: 29 April 2024
Online version: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/guide/how-we-make-gambling-safer
Overview: Making gambling safer is at the core of what we do. Find out more about how we have made gambling safer for consumers in Great Britain over the past two years.
We have created an experts by experience group. By involving people who have experienced gambling harm in what we do, we can better shape our work.
We have increased our focus on gambling businesses to make sure that they are prioritising consumer safety and keeping to the rules. If this is not the case, we take firm action.
We have introduced new rules around advertising. Any gambling operators who breach consumer laws now face firmer action through financial penalties, suspensions and settlements.
We have banned gambling on credit cards to keep people safe and to avoid spending money that they may not have.
We have introduced stricter age and identity checks for online gambling in order to keep young people safe from gambling harm.
Improvements have been made to customer interaction guidance for gambling businesses. This ensures they are asking the right questions at the right time. A consultation will follow on this area in autumn 2020.
We require all gambling businesses to sign up to GAMSTOP (opens in new tab), which is the the online self-exclusion scheme. GAMSTOP gives consumers the opportunity to exclude themselves from all online gambling for a period of at least six months.
There are tighter measures in place to protect consumers who were gambling online during the COVID-19 lockdown. These measures include preventing reverse withdrawals, not offering bonuses to customers who are displaying signs of harm, and improving online customer interaction.
We successfully launched the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms across England, Scotland and Wales in April 2019. The Strategy ran for three years until April 2022.
The Strategy drove and coordinated work to bring a lasting impact to reducing gambling harm.
Read more about the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.
All gambling businesses must only use alternative dispute resolution providers who meet our additional standards.
We continue to work with the industry to introduce new rules around so-called VIP schemes. The outcome of a current consultation will provide us with further regulatory options, as well as a consultation on the design of games to make them less addictive.
We created guidance to help consumers limit the amount of gambling related content they see online.
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