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Guidance

Guidance to licensing authorities

The Gambling Commission's guidance for licensing authorities.

Published
1 April 2021

Last updated
5 November 2020 - Changes

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Contents

What are the issues - online gambling

Online gambling

Online gambling presents a distinct set of risks and opportunities. It is important to look at the risks at each stage of a consumer’s experience with online gambling:

Before a consumer decides to play, where licensees and affiliates seek to influence decisions through their advertising, marketing, and incentives such as bonus offers.

At the point of sign-up/log-in, where licensees have an opportunity to collect and verify know your customer information and understand a player’s preferences.

Before play begins, when licensees can nudge customers to apply safer gambling tools, or automatically apply them subject to understanding more about a customer such as how much time and money individuals can afford to spend gambling. Licensees should also be providing clear information to players about how their products work to enable consumers to make an informed choice on what products they wish to participate in.

During play, where game or platform features can encourage harmful play or support safer play. Where customers can gamble with the assurance that they will be treated fairly, and any winnings will be paid promptly.

Before, during or after play, where operators can act on information about individual player behaviour to initiate an interaction and support safer play. Where player activity is monitored to ensure suspicious activity is identified and reported. Where customers are given clear accessible information on how they can raise queries or complaints and be reassured their concerns will be addressed promptly and fairly.

GC action

We will continue to use our regulatory powers to make online gambling safer through targeted action to improve standards.

GC action

We will continue to use the expertise of our advisory groups including the insight provided by our Digital Advisory Panel, formed with online industry and digital commerce experts, to give us access to expertise on digital industries and emerging technologies. This is to ensure regulation remains fit for purpose and helps us respond to new and emerging risks.

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