UK Betting Shops Are the Best at ID Verification

Serve Legal independent analysts have published results from their study showing that betting shops record major success in ID verification to prevent underage customers from engaging in wagering and gambling.

90% Of Betting Shops Asked for Customer IDs

Independent analysts from Serve Legal have published findings that betting shops are top performers when it comes to verifying customer ages in the UK.

The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) acknowledges betting shops’ outperformance preventing underage customer participation and engagement. BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher stated that the regulated BGC members prohibit underage betting and do not tolerate any illegal action, so it is great to hear that “verification systems are robust.”

According to Serve Legal, 90% of the betting shops have asked for customer IDs, followed by convenience stores with 83%, supermarkets with 77% and gas stations with 76%. The results came with Serve Legal’s “secret shopper” checks that registered staff asking customers for ID to check if they are above the legal age.

According to the study’s findings, betting shops have seen a significant improvement, as they previously registered 67% when introducing the checks for the first time.

Betting Shops Are Focused on Safety despite COVID-19 Challenges

Dugher also stated that he wants “to pay a tribute” to betting shop staff members who have endured a challenging year due to the pandemic. He said that, despite the pressure, they have remained diligent and focused on safety.

Furthermore, the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Program, funded by contributions from BGC members and independently carried out by GamCare and YGAM, amounts to over $13.7 million and includes more proactive measures.

Dugher said that he is proud of the progress made by online gaming platforms, casinos and betting shops. He said that he and the other BGC members are determined to build on this success and continue to work for the safety of young people.

BGC with New Rules for Social Media Posts

In February of this year, BGC rolled out its new rules for gambling promotions on social media to prevent underage customers from viewing the promotions. The new rules prohibited posts by football clubs with links to gambling websites or calls to action in organic social media posts and especially on their Twitter accounts. The BGC expressed concerns that the football clubs’ posts can bypass existing measures for online sports wagering ads and get to the vulnerable underage audience.

In July of this year, Snapchat introduced a special opt-out option for gambling ads for its UK customers and BGC was thrilled with it. Before launching the new option, BGC and Snapchat worked together, hoping to give the user the control button over the advertisements they see on their screen.