The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a reminder that their new advertising rules will come into effect on October 31st (2018).The changes to the law, which are designed to protect consumers from gambling related harm and ensure fair treatment for players, have been well received by many critics of current gambling advertising.
Industry wide crackdown
The new rules are part of a larger plan to protect vulnerable gamblers and underage people from gambling related harm, something that many believe has not been done to an acceptable degree in recent years.The new rules will allow the UKGC to impose monetary penalties on operators who are seen to be not complying with the advertising rules the Commission has set out, and will also be penalised if third party affiliates flout those same regulations on the behalf of the operator, on request or otherwise.Recently, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have upheld several complaints against different operators and these new rules should mean that those operators can be punished further if they do not comply with these new regulations.
Quicker actions
The UKGC stated that not only would the new rules allow them to crack down on non-compliance, but would also allow the Commission to act quicker when there are violations of the law.On top of the new advertising rules, operators in the UK will be expected to offer improved and updated customer complaint processes, and there will be regulatory action for those who are seen to be “spamming” their customers with marketing materials.It has been clear for some time that the focus of the UKGC is to protect players, especially those most vulnerable to gambling related harm, and that is what these new regulations will set out to do.