United Kingdom Gambling Commission
Seen by some punters as the most useless organisation in the UK, but they are the present UK government choice of the regulator for the gambling industry.
In general they DO NOT deal with individual disputes between bookmakers and punters, you will be told by them who the approved alternative dispute resolution organisation is for the company you are in dispute with. This, of course, is the choice of the company, not yours; a rather poor start. Under EU consumer legislation adopted in the UK in 2015 you can refuse this choice and recommend an alternative organisation, however the company can then refuse your choice, so that is the end of line: Great. The reality therefore, is that you end up working with the company’s chosen arbitrator.
A full outline of what the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) want you to do if you think you are being mistreated can be found by clicking here. You just need to read the instructions under the first heading: Complain about a gambling business.
UK Gambling Commission The Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate gambling in Great Britain. It is headed by a Chairman and other Commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State and is an independent non-departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Do you love gambling?💰 Want a good read about the history of gambling in The UK?👀 Read our latest article!🌟. Gambling Commission website - Gambling Commission Helping you get information about gambling in Great Britain and find support when you need it We license, regulate, advise and provide guidance to. 12 hours ago A new opinion poll has revealed that 51% of people in Britain are opposed to being told by politicians how much they can spend on gambling. That is the headline finding of a YouGov survey.
In conclusion, we have to live with the UKGC at present (far better to have an independent ombudsman), so please do let them know when you feel you’ve been ‘conned’ for whatever reason and if you receive a service that you are unhappy with complain about the UKGC themselves (click here to know how to do this) and scroll down to ‘Complain about the Gambling Commission’. In addition make sure your MP gets a copy of your correspondence.
Footnote:
The most commonly used alternative dispute resolution organisation is the Independent Betting Arbitration Service (IBAS). You need to treat the word ‘independent’ with some care, as this organisation is funded by the gambling industry. They claim to do their best despite the obvious conflict of interest. It is very difficult to obtain data about the specific outcomes of their work, e.g. how decisions are made. There is plenty of evidence that some of their decisions are ‘turned-over’, if and when, somebody can afford to take legal action, which is not a good sign.
Following an intensive 12-week consultation with the members of the public and a number of stakeholders in the gaming sector, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission has recently announced a ban on credit gambling. Beginning April 14, both online and retail gamblers in the country will no longer be able to use their credit cards to place bets. The only options left are cash and debit cards.
In the report that was released by the gambling commission during the announcement, a number of worrying trends were listed. Currently, there are nearly 24 million gamblers in Britain along and close to half of them place bets online. According to data from a separate UKGC-commissioned study, at least 22 percent of online gamblers in the country are classified as problem gamblers.
Neil McArthur, the chief executive officer of the UKGC,stated that they have received multiple reports of punters who have accumulatedhuge sums of money in debt through credit card gambling. He attributed this tothe easy accessibility and availability of credit card services in the country.
“Credit card gambling can lead to significant financial harm. The ban that we have announced today should minimize the risks of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have,” McArthur stated.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission Trinidad And Tobago
Once the ban comes into effect in April, gamblers in thecountry will have to find alternative means of making casino payments. Asmentioned earlier, this ban will cut across both online and retail platformswith the only exception being over-the-counter lottery tickets.
Gaming Operators Already Taking a Hit
United Kingdom Gambling Commission Official
Unsurprisingly, the gambling operators are already feeling a pinch despite the fact that the ban is still about three months away. 888 Holdings’ shares slid 3.3 percent while William Hill and GVC Holdings recorded share price drops of 5.3 percent and 2.8 percent. Flutter Entertainment which operates the renowned Paddy Power took the smallest hit in early trading – it’s share price only dropped by 2.4 percent.
While the gaming companies have stated that only a few of their customers actually use credit cards, the impact of the ban has been rather indiscriminate. They are, however, not too surprised about the turn of events since they were already receiving warnings from responsible gambling campaigners regarding the risks of credit card gambling. There have been a large number of casualties who have suffered significant financial harm and the UKGC has finally decided to step in.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission Rules
It is worth noting that the ban effectively encompasses all forms of credit-based services. That said, it is likely that the ban will also include e-wallets such as PayPal which are also quite popular among gamblers.