The United Kingdom is regarded as one of the best regulated and lucrative gambling markets in Europe. Local players appreciate the contribution of the UK GC in creating a secure and transparent environment for casino enthusiasts. In recent years, the laws got even stricter, with some of the new compliance rules adding extra pressure on the gambling operators and comparison websites who offer reviews of new casino sites. The regulator defends its decision, claiming that all these changes are made to better serve and protect the UK players — Industry leaders such as Andrew Jones from the popular online casino comparison portal CasinoSites.org feels differently, saying; “further regulation of the licensed market could send consumers offshore to the black market”.
Restrictions in the interest to protect players:
The Commission wants to make sure that bookmakers, online casinos, and poker rooms treat their customers fairly. To achieve this, some limitations are occasionally imposed, regarding the maximum amounts that can be wagered. Frequently criticized by operators, as well as some players, they have the merit of protecting players from the risk of gambling addiction. Given the immersive nature of online casino games, it sometimes happens that players end up betting more than they can afford to lose.
In 2016, a study report highlighting the dangers posed by excessive gambling at fixed-odds betting machines. It took the government two years and multiple debates to determine the maximum stakes had to be reduced from £100 to £2. The measure was celebrated by some people as a huge achievement, while others criticized it as unnecessary interference. Over the years, opposition to this matter diminished and it is today celebrated as a smart decision.
The online gaming industry is braced for a similar measure and online slots are likely to suffer the same restrictions. The UKGC announced in 2021 that it planned on imposing the same limitations on online slots to bring them in line with their land-based counterparts. This time, the opposition was weaker, since the measure already proved its worth. Another way to curb the amounts spent by players on online slots was to increase the duration of each spin. By increasing the length of each round, it takes longer for players to lose money if they are unlucky on a particular session.
Self-regulations are regarded as insufficient
Online casinos claim that they are capable of self-regulating their business without the government interfering. Unfortunately, past performance highlighted the inability of the industry to effectively enforce measures capable of protecting the most vulnerable players. There were many instances in which casinos allowed players to gamble larger amounts than they were able to sustain. These led to catastrophic losses that were impossible to offset and sent players on a downward spiral.
The only department in which casinos proved capable of protecting problem gamblers was regarding underage gambling. The new protocols and verification procedures greatly reduce the risks of minors signing up for an account. For the time being, it seems that increased regulation of the UK online gambling sector has more advantages than shortcomings. Since the goal is to protect the most vulnerable players from the risk of gambling addiction, the limitations are justified.
