Zona de Azar UK – UKGC to Prioritize Enforcement Against Smaller Operators

UK.- March 04, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has hinted at focusing enforcement efforts on smaller operators in future to ensure that “standards are met across the board”.

UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes said there had been a clear difference in the levels of compliance across the operators the regulator has assessed over the last 12 to 18 months.
Compliance levels are lower among smaller operators, which have seen growth in high-risk customers after the cohort was mostly displaced by larger businesses, Rhodes said.

As such, the chief executive said the regulator would be setting its sights on these operators to ensure consistent levels of compliance.

“From a regulatory point of view, it cannot be acceptable for operators to make the changes and investment they have to drive higher standards, only to potentially observe others in the same market appearing to ‘get away’ with lower standards,” he said.

“This is where a lot of our focus will be in the coming year – ensuring the required standards are met right across the board.”

The remarks were made during Rhodes’ speech at the Betting & Gaming Council’s Annual General Meeting.

At the event, Rhodes talked about the importance of building a “more grown-up relationship” between the industry and the regulator.

Part of this would be a move away from an enforcement-led approach, to one based on dialogue and ensuring “compliance at the earliest opportunity”.

With the planned introduction of affordability checks generating a great deal of controversy within the industry, relations are considered to have hit a low ebb in the past year.

Edited by @pererarte   www.zonadeazar.com