The Role of the UK Gambling Commission in Regulating The Casino Industry
If you read any ’guide to choosing a real money online casino', you will see that people always recommend that you select a site that has been licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. There is a very good reason for this too. So, who are the UKGC, and what can they do to help you?
The UK Gambling Commission is Part of the Government
The UK Gambling Commission is part of the government. Although, they are not a ‘department’ of the government. This helps reduce the influence of the ‘government of the day’ over gambling in the country. The UK Gambling Commission was established in 2005.
Prior to that, it was the Gaming Board for Great Britain that provided oversight for the gambling industry in the United Kingdom. In 2013, the UK Gambling Commission was further expanded when it absorbed the National Lottery Commission into its ranks.
What the UKGC Does
The job of the UK Gambling Commission is to oversee gambling laws in the UK. While they cannot create laws themselves, they have a huge amount of remit to interpret the current laws. This, of course, has resulted in them making some changes over the years, which people do not necessarily like, but we firmly believe that those changes were made to ‘protect’ people. Their mission statement is:
To keep crime out of gambling, to ensure that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and to protect children and vulnerable people.
To do this, they oversee pretty much every form of gambling, except for spread betting (this comes under the remit of the Financial Conduct Body). Basically, if you do any form of betting in this country, be it online or offline, there is a good chance that the UK Gambling Commission is in control of it.
The main aim of the UKGC is to protect the gambler. Any gambling operation, large or small, which operates in the United Kingdom will be severely punished if they break the law (more on that in a while). The gambling operation needs to make sure their games are fair. They also need to work incredibly hard to prevent problem gamblers from gambling. In fact, the UKGC runs a scheme where known problem gamblers can register. These people will then be unable to gamble at any online casino.
The UKGC also helps combat money laundering in the gambling industry (this is still a major problem), and if they spot money laundering, they will work with the police to deal with the problem. Of course, some people do feel that the UKGC is taking somewhat of a heavy-handed approach in recent years. However, despite this, the UK still has some of the most liberal gambling rules in the world.
Dealing with Problems
If you have a problem with your gambling provider, then the UKGC will help you. They have a mediation scheme in place where they will work with the consumer and the gambling company to find a solution to any issues that may arise between them. They encourage the two parties to sort out differences themselves, although the UKGC reserves the right to make a judgment if they can’t manage this. You have probably seen news articles about the millions of pounds of fines bookmakers and casinos receive. It is the UKGC who dished out these punishments.
Licensing of Online Gambling Sites
In order to offer a gambling service in the United Kingdom (even if you are based outside of the country), you need to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. It is an incredibly expensive process to get licensed and to keep your license. This is one of the reasons why it is always recommended that you use licensed casinos. Not only are you protected, but the company's chances of doing something bad towards you (knowingly) is pretty much zero.
The UK Gambling Commission is able to withdraw a license at any time and for whatever reason, although it is rare that it does. One of the major benefits of the licensing system is that you can use the UKGC website to look up the license details of anybody registered with the department. You will then be able to see a list of any complaints or fines they have received.
This is fantastic when it comes to working out the ‘reputation’ of an online casino or bookmaker. We use this tool a lot here, especially if we're reviewing a newer casino or one we haven't tried for some time, it gives you a great oversight into the company and their operations.
The Future Aims of The UKGC
The UKGC has recently released an ‘action plan’ for the future. Little is going to change in the world of online gambling, although they are trying to shake up the way in which they mediate issues between two parties. Their main focus will be on dealing with ‘fixed-odds' betting terminals’, which are likely to be eliminated over the coming years and have already undergone a radical change regarding max betting limits.
Working & Endorsing Gamstop
They are also working actively to help promote "Gamstop" an independent service that offers consumers the choice to exclude from online gambling for periods of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. The scheme is heavily endorsed by the UKGC and UK gambling sites must be participants or risk losing their gambling license. Personal details are logged and held by GAMSTOP and each time there is an attempted login or registration using these details the GAMSTOP database is checked help protect vulnerable consumers. You can read more about Gamstop here.
The online gambling industry is starting to mature and online gambling licenses are firmly in place, which can only be a great thing for preserving and making this industry safe for the UK gambler. We will update this page from time to time with the latest news and advice emerging from the UK Gambling Commission. For further reading, you can check the official UK Gambling Commission website here.
FAQ: UK Gambling Commission
What is the UK Gambling Commission?
The UK Gambling Commission is a government body that oversees gambling laws in the UK. It was established in 2005 and expanded in 2013 when it absorbed the National Lottery Commission.
What is the mission of the UK Gambling Commission?
The mission of the UK Gambling Commission is to keep crime out of gambling, ensure that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and protect children and vulnerable people.
What forms of gambling does the UK Gambling Commission oversee?
The UK Gambling Commission oversees almost every form of gambling in the UK, except for spread betting which falls under the remit of the Financial Conduct Body.
How does the UK Gambling Commission protect gamblers?
The UK Gambling Commission ensures that games are fair and works to prevent problem gamblers from gambling. They also run a scheme where known problem gamblers can register to be unable to gamble at any online casino. They also help combat money laundering in the gambling industry.
What should I do if I have a problem with my gambling provider?
If you have a problem with your gambling provider, you can contact the UK Gambling Commission who have a mediation scheme in place to work with the consumer and the gambling company to find a solution.
What is the process for licensing online gambling sites in the UK?
In order to offer a gambling service in the UK, the company must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. It is an expensive process to obtain and maintain a license. Using licensed casinos is recommended as they are protected and the company's chances of doing something bad towards you is low. The UK Gambling Commission can withdraw a license at any time for any reason.