New age and identity verification rules - changes to the LCCP from Tuesday 7 May

New rules come in on Tuesday 7 May surrounding age and identity verification procedures for online operators. These new rules follow an open consultation and aim to ensure operators verify customers’ age and identity details quickly and robustly. The changes to LCCP will affect remote betting and gaming operators, and some remote lotteries. They include:

• New licence condition 17 which sets out minimum requirements for identity verification
• Changes to Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.11 for age verification for remote betting and gaming
• Changes to Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.13 for age verification for some remote lotteries

The Commission’s consultation responses document provides a full explanation of the background and the nature of these LCCP changes.

All affected operators are expected to comply with the new LCCP. This means that from Tuesday 7May, if an operator has not yet verified the name, address and date of birth of any customer, they will need to have completed verification before allowing that customer to gamble. Operators will therefore need to prevent any unverified customer from gambling until they have gone through the verification process.

Operators should also remember that they cannot confiscate a customer’s funds on the basis that they have not provided ID in time for Tuesday 7 May. Last year the Competitions and Markets Authority’s action in the remote sector established that consumers are legally entitled to money which they have deposited in their account, to winnings made with money they have deposited and gambled, and winnings made from a bonus where the relevant conditions have been met (subject to AML or other regulatory requirements).