The UK Gambling Commission has outlined a new responsible gambling initiative where it will work with four gambling companies to help make gambling safer.
The Gambling Commission has released details on its latest responsible gambling initiative which will see the regulator work with GVC Holdings, Sky Betting and Gaming, SG Gaming and Playtech, to form three industry working groups to help make gambling safer.
The three working groups will be led by senior leaders in the industry and will focus on game and product design, high-value customer incentives to gamble and advertising technology.
SG Gaming, a division of Scientific Games, and Playtech will work on producing a new industry code for product design. Sky Betting and Gaming will lead an advertising technology working group, while GVC will oversee a group that looks at the issue of VIP incentives to gamble.
More on the three working groups
The working group on responsible product and game design will set out how the industry can produce safer products in the future, what techniques to use when designing apps, online games and physical gambling machine products. The group will also outline the risks that come with each product and how they can be reduced, as well as an explanation of what is acceptable and what isn’t.
The advertising group will look at advertising technology and work to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of gambling advertising seen by children, young people and adults that are at risk of developing a gambling problem.
The third group, which will look at the issue of VIP incentives, will work on ensuring that bonuses and gits from VIP programmes, are offered in a manner which is consistent with the licensing objectives to make gambling safer, fairer and crimefree. This group will also identify how the industry’s existing rules can be improved and strengthened.
Neil McArthur’s comments
In a statement, the Gambling Commission’s chief executive Neil McArthur said: “Consumer behaviour and technology are changing so quickly that only a bold and innovative approach will allow us to achieve a reduction in the numbers of people experiencing, or at risk from, gambling-related harm.
“I’ve been encouraged by the willingness of so many operators to work with us on these challenges. We’ve set demanding a timetable for progress because we cannot proceed at the speed of the slowest. If rapid progress is not made then we will have to look at other options, as making gambling safer for consumers is paramount.”
This news comes after McArthur briefed industry leaders on the challenges to responsible gambling in October.
