Ministro da Economia Digital do Reino Unido discursa na Confer��ncia GambleAware

Chris Philp, the UK’s Minister for Technology and Digital Economy used his speech at the conference to outline the UK’s efforts to ensure that online gambling is a safe but healthy part of the growing digital economy

In a panel titled “Collaboration in Preventing Gambling Harm,” Philp elaborated on his two main goals as a minister: making the Kingdom the “safest place in the world to connect to the Internet, setting the global standard for Internet security” and giving gambling a “comprehensive review” to ensure it is up to date for the modern digital age.

Having encountered a wide range of stakeholders within the industry, as well as many doctors who specialize in helping patients with addictive disorders, Philp explained that gambling-related harms were a public health issue that required the presence of regulations. “It is our duty in government and more broadly to prevent people from being led down a path that leads to a dark fate.”

The revision of the Gambling Act aims to address a wide range of issues with the official call for evidence receiving 16,000 applications. Philp also stated that a White Paper would be published in the following months.

Elaborating on the measures that would be taken to prevent the enablement of compulsive or dangerous gambling, the requirement of payslips or bank statements from customers above ?100 may be considered intrusive, but it is more than justified beyond a certain point. Another more acceptable form of regulation would be a new approach using cutting-edge technology and data metrics. Philp points to the creation of a system similar to that used by the most modern credit reference agencies. This would be a smoother form of compliance, even if higher levels of gambling require more intrusive checks. He also stated that “checks based on spending and financial circumstances should complement, rather than replace, all existing requirements on operators to monitor game data, identify risk and intervene accordingly.”

To this end, he indicated that the success of GAMSTOP, a multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme, is a good sign of the road that should be taken. As a single individual can have several accounts with several different operators, there is a genuine need for a single customer view (SCV) that protects the person rather than any single account.

On the issue of data protection, Philp elaborated that any data sharing would be done according to stringent protocols ensuring that the data is safe, secure and that the amount of data taken is proportional to the situation. In this, the Gambling Commission will be supported by the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure that the SCV will be carried out with the values of data protection close at heart. Referring to the data sharing systems currently used by the financial sector as a benchmark, Philp called on the stakeholders in the audience to work hand-in-hand with regulators to create a system that helps create and maintain a high standard of customer protection.

Concluding with an elaboration on the role of the main regulator, Philp noted that the role of the Gambling Commission will be instrumental for any attempt at making the UK Gambling market a safer economic ecosystem. Working closely with the Chair and Chief Executive of the Commission, he promises that the review of the Gambing Act will be as thorough as necessary. Referring to their success in banning gambling with credit cards, stricter compliance for age regulations and the Commission’s actions during COVID, Philp noted that the regulator will be a cornerstone of the industry’s future.

SiGMA Asia 2022

After the exciting set of conferences that was Malta Week 2021, the SiGMA Group plans to take the world by storm with the golden steeples of?Kiev?and the snowy city of?Toronto?being hubs to draw the best and brightest of the iGaming world together. Our next expo takes us to cutting-edge metropoli of the?United Arab Emirates?for three days of networking, panel discussions and festivities. Stay up to date with the latest and greatest through?SiGMA News.