New rules are to be implemented today, on Tuesday, 7 May about age verification procedures and systems for online operators. UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) decided that it is imperative be taken strict measures that will prohibit the uncontrollable access to gambling sites and protect minors.
The new legislation aims to ensure operators comply and verify quickly and reliably user’s age and personal data. This means that many changes will be in force about the new license condition in 17, the Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.11 for age verification for remote betting and gambling and the Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.13 for some remote lotteries.
The Commission published consultation responses document in which detailed reference is made of LCCP (License Conditions and Codes of Practice) changes. All gambling operators are required to follow the new rules, otherwise they will be penalized. Specifically, every online operator must validate the name, the age and the date of birth before allowing him to sign up and gamble online. Therefore, those who have not registered their details and have not been verified, will be prevented and blocked from such sites until they have gone through the verification process. However, online operators must be very careful about customer’s funds. According to the Competition and Market Authority, gambling operators do not have the right to confiscate the money and winnings of users even if they are not been validated.
‘’Gaining a better understanding of the impact of gambling on children and young people is a key priority for the Commission. This newly released framework will provide critical insight into the range of harms that young people in Britain can experience and will help greatly in concentrating the National Strategy’s prevention and education initiatives where they will have the most impact. This will take time and the framework will evolve as we move into the next phase of this work. We encourage our partners in delivering the National Strategy, including public health officials and academics to feed back to us as we move into the next phase of work’’ said Helen Rhodes, programme director for safer gambling at the UKGC.
