Gambling in Reforms: Upcoming Changes for UK and Australia

#BettingLegislation  #GambleLike_UK  #GambleLike_Australia 

The gambling industry evolves constantly and adapts to the digital era with rapid pace and frequent changes. Different markets continue to reform the way gambling activities are presented to players. Sometimes, those changes aim at more effective industry management, while others are targeted at achieving the goal of more responsible gambling. The United Kingdom and Australia are some of those markets that are most active in reforming the industry. So today we will overview some of the upcoming changes in those countries.

A NEW CORPORATE STRATEGY FOR THE UKGC

After the introduction of some severe restrictions for providers of casino entertainment, the United Kingdom has decided to reform the work of the UK Gambling Commission to ensure it works effectively in the digital era. One of the steps in this direction is the new corporate strategy for 2024-2027 presented by the UKGC recently.

The strategy ”Gambling Regulation in a Digital Age” outlines the ways of working the commission will work in order to perform the reforms that match the decisions listed in the Government’s White Paper High Stakes – Gambling.

This organization will continue to focus on the core regulatory activities, along with the strategical work in the following areas:

• Make regulations more effective with analytics and a data-driven approach.
• To regulate successfully the National Lottery.
• To create clear and evidence-based requirements for license applications.
• Being proactive and using any opportunity to solve arising issues.

Commission Chair Marcus Boyle said that he would like this corporate strategy to help the institution to create a safe and crime-free gambling environment in which the rights of consumers are protected. 

NEW RULES FOR WAGERING ACTIVITY STATEMENTS IN AUSTRALIA

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has recently presented new rules that regulate how operators should present the activity of bettors on their websites. Summarizing the changes, they are aimed at a clearer and more straightforward presentation of wagering information. 

The list of those rules includes the following important points:

• The statement should be made in clear English language with no unnecessary vocabulary used.
• The use of color is limited to black and red (to indicate losses)
• The statement should display how much of their own money players have spent, so free and bonus bets should be excluded from the net loss.
• Net wins should be displayed without stake size.
• Taglines about gambling harm should be added to each statement

Starting April 1st, each statement issued without the abovementioned rules followed will be penalized with 600 points (equal to AU$11,538.60). 

The gambling authority in Denmark has also made changes to betting legislation in order to enhance self-exclusion mechanisms.