UKGC updates operator guidance amid ‘unfair’ practices

UKGC
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued updated guidance to licensed operators on its ‘fair and transparent terms and practices’.

The regulator published its latest guidance after recently finding that licensees have often used terms of play that could be deemed as unfair, with operators sometimes provided ‘undue discretion’ to rule over disputes.

Other operator concerns raised by the Commission include being able to reduce potential winnings on open bets and online games that “entitle licensees to void real money winnings if a customer inadvertently breaks staking rules”.

LCCP requirements state that licensed operators should offer evidence that their terms and conditions have been applied in a fair and transparent manner.

The Commission’s updated guidance requires that operators’ terms and conditions must be transparent with the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, in which “customers must be notified of material changes to terms before they come into effect”.

Licensees are now instructed to review their bonus offers and waging requirements to ensure compliance with the LCCP and the Commission’s code of practices.

The UKGC considers The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to be the leading regulator for consumer protection, warning operators “to adhere to the CMA’s principles in order to demonstrate compliance with licence conditions and to ensure that gambling is provided fairly, in line with the second licensing objective of ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way”.