A trend showing that sports betting has registered a decline in the last few months but problem gamblers in the UK are spending more funds and time online has been found concerning and fuelled calls for stricter regulatory action.
The latest findings of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) show that regular gamblers have become more oriented to betting online during the coronavirus lockdown. At a time when sports events have been basically absent and there were no sports betting options available for British customers, people in the UK started betting online more often than they did before the nationwide Covid-19 shutdown.
According to data provided by YouGov, a polling company, almost two-thirds of the ones engaged with gambling, who spend money on at least three betting products on a monthly basis, have boosted the time or money they spend on the activities. On the other hand, data collected from gambling operators themselves have shown that sports bets have declined by 31% in volume, but betting on virtual sports increased by 40%. Also, a 38% increase was registered by poker services, while online slot machines soared by 25%.
The latest data has shown that the number of gambling sessions that last for over an hour also rose by 23% year on year, reaching 1.9 million in March 2020.
The aforementioned evidence was published by the main gambling regulator of the UK following some concern shared by both anti-gambling campaigners and Members of Parliament in regard to the industry’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of local communities by various measures, including cutting gambling operators’ advertising.
Gambling Companies Need to Protect British Customers from Gambling-Related Harm
Now, the UK Gambling Commission has called for gambling companies to take further steps to make sure British customers are protected.
The measures that have been recommended by the UKGC include prevention of reverse withdrawals that allow customers who win money to withdraw their money into their bank accounts, but cancel the transaction afterwards and use the money for another bet. This is exactly why reverse withdrawals have been considered controversial in online gambling and the UKGC has cited it as an indicator that a person may find it hard to control their gambling habits.
Apart from that, the gambling sector’s watchdog has recommended gambling companies to stop offering special bonuses to the customers who seem to be affected by gambling-related harm. The UKGC has also required from operators interacting with people who play longer than an hour to make sure these individuals are not in distress.
Stricter player protection measures could become a permanent fixture to some concerning activity in the UK gambling sector, depending on the results of the UKGC review. Nigel Huddleston, the country’s sports minister has confirmed that protecting people from gambling-related harm and possible problem gambling behaviour is a matter of paramount priority for the gambling regulatory body.
The regulator’s chief executive officer, Neil McArthur, has also noted that gambling operators are required to use data they hold to protect their customers. Mr McArthur further shared that online gambling companies are now being monitored even more closely than before because of the specific situation during the coronavirus lockdown and the possible impact that financial uncertainty may have on local customers.
- Author
Daniel Williams
