UK Gambling Commission Makes Responsible Gambling Awareness Main Priority

In efforts to bring greater attention to responsible gambling awareness, the UK Gambling Commission wants more involvement in the matter from gaming providers.

Online gambling sites in the US provide all sorts of gambling services to a large customer base. And they are not the only ones, as there are an array of land-based betting shops, casino games, slot machines and others similar gambling pursuits that offer their services to the public. But before any of the companies start operations, they must first acquire licenses from the UK Gambling Commission.

• Responsible gambling takes greater importance in the industry
• Gaming industry will have ensure their customers don’t develop problem gambling
• Responsible Gambling Trust fund research to prevent problem gambling

There are a number of laws and regulations that gambling providers must comply with, and one of them concerns raising responsible gambling awareness. In recent times, there have been an increasing number of gambling-related activities, such as more gambling advertisements, a bigger number betting shops and more of FOBT machines (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals). As a direct results, the public feels that responsible gambling awareness has been neglected.

Gambling providers will have to take responsible gambling awareness seriously

The UK Gambling Commission has issued a warning to the gambling industry; every provider must promote responsible gambling awareness, otherwise they risk getting more stringent regulations in the future. If history is anything to go by, gaming providers will likely adopt a more effective approach to the matter at hand. Should the Gambling Commission be forced to introduce a new set of rules, it probably wouldn’t bode well with the industry.

According to the director of regulatory risks and analysis of the UK Gambling Commission, Matthew Hill, there are two options to proceed with forward. If the gambling industry does not wish to increase their efforts in responsible gambling awareness, then the officials would implement trade constraints in order to appease the public. Altering the UK gambling laws, it would prevent gaming providers from offering their services in the manner they are normally accustomed to. Also, “constraints on the freedom of responsible adults to make their own decisions” would be compromised.

On the other hand, the more favourable option involves “maximizing fun and minimizing harm.” Anti-gambling supporters might probably be against this and might consider it a move backwards, however with further inspection it does carry weight. Hill’s argument revolves around the fact that the gambling industry helps generate substantial amounts of revenue and more importantly create numerous jobs.

UK Gambling Commission has initiatives in place to deal with problem gambling

Taking into account the impact that the gambling industry has on society, certain measures were taken to ensure problem gambling is kept at a minimum. The UK Gambling Commission has active systems in place that financially contribute to gambling related research, education and treatment. It is estimated that in the period of 2012-2013, the gaming industry made a voluntary contribution of more than GBP 5 million through the Responsible Gambling Trust. During 2013-2014, the amount is estimated to have risen to GBP 6 million.

The point of the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) is to gather the resources from the industry and then use it to fund research and education into preventing problem gambling. Since 2009, the RGT has raised an overall of GBP 25 million in their efforts to promote responsible gambling awareness among individuals that play land-based, mobile betting and other types of gaming.

Gambling is supposed to be fun and exciting, but please remember to do it responsibly.