UKGC hosts tech expert meeting on safer gambling

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has hosted a two-day meeting between industry executives and technology experts, seeking to make progress on the development of a ‘single industry-wide solution’ reducing gambling harms.

Forming a ‘single customer view’ of UK gambling has been previously outlined as a major strategic initiative of the UKGC’s ongoing ‘National Strategy’ regulating the UK gambling incumbents

The UKGC’s Birmingham meeting saw over 100 technology experts share knowledge and insights on how to ‘unpick the challenges’ facing the Commission’s directive.

The technology initiative was supported by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), with further representation from the Information Commissioners Office detailing insights on individual rights and to discuss issues around privacy.

In 2020, the UKGC has detailed that it seeks to raise standards and stakeholder knowledge on areas related to ethical game design, the use of advertising technology and incentives for high-value customers.

“We recognise that keeping a customer safe where operators currently only have a partial view of a customer’s behaviour is a challenge” Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission said: “That is why we are bringing together experts from outside and within the gambling industry to explore how technology could create a single customer view, as it has the potential to significantly improve customer protection.”

“Using technology to facilitate a single view of consumer activity is one of a range of actions we are pursuing to make gambling safer”.

This week, McArthur and UKGC Chairman Dr Bill Moyes defended the Commission’s ‘National Strategy’ and cooperative frameworks to a House of Lords Select Committee evidence hearing on UK gambling.

Leading the UKGC, McArthur underlined that the National Strategy has been successful in changing industry conduct and ‘mindsets at a boardroom level’ with regards to tackling problem gambling