NAO (National Audit Office) has concluded that UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is having problems to protect gamblers
The National Audit Office, responsible for auditing public bodies, has determined that UK Gambling Commission is “unlikely to be fully effective in addressing risks and harms to consumers”.
Gambling addiction is an issue in the United Kingdom. Currently there are 395.000 problem gamblers, plus 1.8 other million people that can be considered to be at risk.
Even though UKGC has already declared its intentions of lowering these numbers, NAO said that they haven’t explained their plans yet on how to do so or their progress. The NAO declared: “Regulators need clear, measurable objectives so their teams and the external stakeholders they work with have a common understanding of what they are aiming to achieve and can judge progress”
The Commission has translated its statutory objectives and overall aim to make gambling safer into strategic priorities, business plan activities and high‐level outcomes it wants to achieve. However, it has not yet developed these high‐level outcomes into detailed, measurable success criteria against which to judge progress”
In the report, UKGC’s ability to manage the dangers of an industry as big as gambling was questioned. During the last years it has fined different operators for a total of over £19 million but that hasn’t been enough. The NAO has said that it wasn’t even clear if these settlements have helped.
This industry is worth over £11-billion (a £4-billion growth in the last 10 years) and is in constant change, and the Commission’s attempts to tackle the problems that come with it haven’t been enough so far. UKGC has been advised to better define how they pretend to help customers in a measurable way. The Commission has also been asked by the NAO to develop a better strategy that makes operators raise their standards.
Join the discussion on this and many other topics in the SiGMA Summit that will take place on June the 8th and 9th in Manila.
About SiGMA Expo:
The iGaming summit SiGMA is setting its sights on Asia. Our ground breaking Asian iGaming expo will be held in Manila, on the 8th & 9th of June 2020. SiGMA’s largest venue to date will bring together high quality conferences and content, premium networking opportunities, and luxury networking event. 10,000 delegates from across Europe, the US, and Asia are expected to attend, making this one of the biggest shows to unite East and West in the region. To become a part of the fastest paced Asian iGaming event, book a pass or sponsor & exhibit.
For those planning to attend SiGMA Manila, AIBC Manila and ICE Asia at SMX on June 8-9th, this is the buzzing business environment to be expected: