Player Protection

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will closely monitor the forthcoming developments of the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) pilot scheme and timeline to implement affordability checks. The governing body of British racing has issued its response to yesterday’s announcement by the Gambling Commission that it would roll out its pilot scheme on “frictionless customer affordability checks” from August 2024, initiating a …

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has established a new ‘voluntary code on customer checks’ to minimise frictions of financial checks and improve consistencies in know-your-customer (KYC) duties. The voluntary code was designed in collaboration with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to help raise standards and reduce the need for private financial document requests when verifying customers. As cited by …

Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs will prioritise restoring gambling advertising restrictions as intended by the Royal Decree on Advertising. The plan was outlined by Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s new Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, addressing media on the current framework of federal rules on gambling advertising. Confusion has arisen in the Spanish media, as this April the Supreme Court …

IBAS, the Independent Betting Adjudication Service, has clarified its position on matters related to settling disputed bets between bookmakers and customers. Recognised as the UK’s most referred-to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service, IBAS issued its response related to this weekend’s BBC article referencing its ADR service used by customers to challenge the outcome of disputed bets. The BBC highlighted concerns …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will probe how football betting markets are settled, following concerns over wrong results being determined by bookmakers. The Commission confirmed to the BBC that it would “meet figures in the football betting industry over claims that wrong results are being recorded”. The probe follows consumer disputes concerning the use of inaccurate data used to settle …

The passage of Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill (GRB) has become further muddied, as conflicts emerge on the framework’s rules and determinations related to fundraising activities connected with gambling. Concerns were raised to Minister of State, James Browne, who oversees the GRB’s agenda, to exclude charity draws and schemes from being included in the Bill’s framework. An amendment, carrying a specific …

Industry reformists at the House of Lords have stated that the Gambling Review’s White Paper falls significantly short on advertising policies and reforms to protect the public from harm. This afternoon, the House of Lords hosted a short debate on the “Impact of gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship on problem gambling”, put forward by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrats). …

The Parliament of South Africa has received the ‘Remote Gambling Bill of 2024’, tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA), considered the main opposition party to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government. Sponsored by MP Dean Macpherson, the DA’s Shadow Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Bill seeks to address South Africa’s inadequate regulatory framework governing online gambling activities. …

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found 18 offshore websites breaching gambling laws in Australia during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 2023 sporting event saw gambling carried out via verticals such as online casinos and slot/gaming machines as well as betting on sporting events whilst play was under way, which is illegal in the country. …