SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play have agreed to remove terms and conditions prohibiting players from obtained their money in one go, after an investigation by the the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The CMA has been working UK regulator the Gambling Commission, to improve terms and conditions for players online and to help ensure firms do not break consumer protection law, after finding “a number of firms use unfair practices and terms and conditions”.
The two organisations involved, who were cooperative throughout the investigative process, previously enabled players to make withdrawals over an extended period, which it is stated could lead some to gamble again where otherwise they may not have done.
An agreement to remove unfair terms, which meant players money could be confiscated if no log-in was registered for a certain amount of time, was also detailed by the two firms.
Furthermore, Progress Play has also agreed to not confiscate players money if they don’t meet identity check rules within a specific timeframe.
George Lusty, Senior Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA, explained: “People choosing to gamble online, should be able to walk away with their own money whenever they want to.
“Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play are the first to commit to scrap their unfair withdrawal rules, but we expect companies across the sector to follow suit, so no-one gets caught out with unfair terms and conditions when gambling online.”
The various changes also have the backing of the Gambling Commission, which has issued an expectation for firms across the sector to apply similar standards, to ensure online gambling remains fair for players.
A failure to adhere to the necessary changes to their terms, could result in further regulatory action being undertaken.
Paul Hope, Executive Director at the Gambling Commission, added: “We support the outcome of the CMA’s investigation, and we’re pleased that both of the operators involved have committed to making changes that will make it fairer and simpler for customers to withdraw funds from their online gambling accounts.
“Gambling firms should not be placing unreasonable restrictions on when and how consumers can take money out of their accounts.
“We now expect all online operators to review the findings published by the CMA today and ensure they update their own practices.”
