Министр цифровой экономики Великобритании выступил на конференции GambleAware

Chris Philp, the United Kingdom’s Minister for Technology and Digital Economy, in his speech at the conference, outlined the UK’s efforts to ensure that online gambling is a safe but healthy part of the growing digital economy

On a panel titled “Collaborating on Gambling Harm Prevention,” Philp elaborated on his two main goals as minister: to make the UK “the safest place in the world to go online, to set a global standard for online safety,” and to enable the legislature to conduct a “comprehensive review” to ensure that it is relevant to today’s digital age.

After meeting with a wide range of stakeholders in the industry, as well as many practitioners who specialize in helping patients with addiction, Philp explained that gambling-related harm is a public health issue that requires regulations. “It is our duty in government and more broadly to prevent people from being led down a trail to a dark place.”

The revision of the Gambling Act aims to address a wide range of issues with an official call for evidence that has received 16,000 submissions. Philp also stated that a white paper would be published in the coming months.

When developing measures to be taken to avoid compulsive or dangerous gambling, requiring payslips or bank statements from customers in excess of £100 may be perceived as intrusive, but more than justified after a certain point. Another more acceptable form of regulation is a new approach using advanced technologies and data metrics. Philp points to the creation of a system similar to that used by more modern credit reference agencies. This will be a smoother form of compliance, even if a higher level of gambling requires more intrusive checks. He also stated that “checks based on costs and financial circumstances should complement, not replace, all existing requirements for operators to monitor game data, identify risks and intervene accordingly.”

To that end, he pointed out that the success of GAMSTOP, a multi-user online self-exclusion scheme, was a good example of the path to take. Because a single person can have multiple accounts with several different operators, there is a real need for a Single Customer View (SCV) that protects the individual rather than any one account.

Regarding data protection, Philp clarified that any data exchange will be carried out in accordance with strict protocols to ensure the security and reliability of data storage, as well as the appropriateness of the amount of data collected to the situation. In doing so, the Gambling Commission will be supported by the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure that the SCV is conducted with data protection principles in mind. Referring to the data exchange systems currently used in the financial sector as a benchmark, Philp urged stakeholders in the audience to work hand-in-hand with regulators to create a system that helps create and maintain high standards of customer protection.

In conclusion, after detailing the role of the main regulatory body, Philp noted that the role of the Gambling Commission will play an important role in any attempts to make the UK gambling market a safer economic ecosystem. Working closely with the Commission’s Chairman and Executive Director, he promises that the revision of the Gambling Act will be as thorough as necessary. Citing their success in banning credit card gambling, stricter enforcement of age restrictions, and the Commission’s actions during COVID, Philp noted that the regulator will be a cornerstone of the industry’s future.

SiGMA Asia 2022

After the fascinating set of conferences that Malta Week 2021 has become, SiGMA Group plans to take the world by storm by visiting the golden domes of Kyiv and the snowy city of Toronto, where they will bring together the best and brightest representatives of the iGaming world. Our next exhibition will take us to the ultra-modern metropolises of the United Arab Emirates, where we will organize three days of networking, group discussions and celebrations. Stay up to date with the latest SiGMA news.