UKGC to Change Its Approach to Penalties and Consultations

Tim Miller, the executive director of Britain’s Gambling Commission (UKGC), announced that the regulator will change the way it imposes penalties. According to Miller, this will help the industry by forcing operators to remain compliant and relieving gambling harm.  

Miller Said the UKGC Will Rethink Its Approach

Miller made his announcement at the CMS Law Conference where he also revealed more details about the authority’s plans. He explained that the commission plans to soon launch consultations about changes to the way the UKGC deals with penalties. The regulator plans to change how it calculates fines and, by extension, motivate operators to remain compliant. In addition, Miller hopes to switch to a more transparent system.

Miller and the UKGC also plan to change the consultations following feedback on the current model. The executive director shared that some people feel that the regulator takes a “scattergun approach” to consultations Furthermore, some people doubt whether consultation responses really make a difference.

The Commission will, therefore, launch new consultation windows to avoid the so-called scattergun approach.

The Authority Wants to Be More Precise When Measuring Harm Rates

The next thing Miller addressed was gambling harm prevention. In order to protect UK players, the UKGC plans to change the way in which it measures harm. Right now, the regulator’s estimates aren’t flawless, which is why a different approach is needed. Because of that, Miller and the Commission will adopt more precise data solutions.

We’ll be using the next year to analyze the new methodology further, correcting issues where we find them and scaling it up so it’s ready to become the new gold standard of participation and prevalence

Tim Miller, executive director, UKGC

He also pointed out that the pilot data the Commission released sparks interest but cannot be used to properly estimate problem gambling rates at this stage.

Philp’s Leave May Pose a Problem to the Ongoing Review

Miller also spoke about the ongoing gambling review and the upcoming white paper, saying that the UKGC “has not been playing a waiting game.” Therefore, the UKGC will continue its job and change what needs changing. Miller pointed out that the Commission prefers an evidence-led approach and opposes unsustainable rules and requirements.

Meanwhile, the latest developments in British politics may influence the country’s gambling review. Chris Philp, the DCMS Minister for Tech and Digital recently announced his resignation. Philp played a key role in the United Kingdom’s ongoing gambling review, so his departure may lead to further delays. John White, CEO of Bacta, just addressed the matter, urging the upcoming government to take care of the white paper as soon as possible.