UKGC CEO: We have been “clear” on operator requirements
Andrew Rhodes moves to clarify regulator’s position but also claims operators must self-regulate amid apparent lack of concrete guidance
UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) CEO Andrew Rhodes has said the regulator has made it “clear” what it expects from operators in regard to customer protection and risk.
Speaking at the ICE World Regulatory Briefing, Rhodes moved to dismiss the UKGC’s role in implementing so-called ‘affordability checks’ but insisted the body has laid out in plain terms what it expects operators to consider.
However, Rhodes’ comments appeared to be at odds with each other, as in the same speech the CEO also claimed it was up to operators to set limits themselves rather than rely on guidance from the regulator.
Rhodes said: “The Gambling Commission has not imposed blanket so-called ‘affordability checks’ or set limits on what we think anyone should be allowed to spend.
“What we have done is make it clear we do expect operators to consider a range of factors when assessing the risk for a consumer, including the financial situation of a consumer.
“It is for operators to set limits themselves based on their customer types, business and risks. It is also for operators to take responsibility for preventing the sorts of cases I mentioned above from occurring in the first place,” he added.
This approach of not delivering concrete guidance has previously been disparaged as “hopelessly ambiguous” by Regulus Partners’ Dan Waugh and Harris Hagan’s David Whyte in a recent interview with EGR.
Rhodes went on to reiterate that the industry continues to wait for the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review to provide further guidance.
Rhodes continued: “Neither I nor the Gambling Commission accept that you can’t balance protecting people from harmful or unfair outcomes with freedom of choice. But clearly, government has a big role to play in making the judgement about where that balance should be sought.”
Ahead of the white paper’s release, which is now set to be delayed once again after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak put a new Culture Secretary in place and moved de facto gambling minister Paul Scully to a new department, operators have been attempting to get ahead of any potential changes.
Rhodes revealed: “Across those larger operators, we are seeing gross gambling yield fall by just under 16%. The amount of money staked is down by just over 13%.
“We have seen the number of players losing over £500 a month drop by nearly 8%, and those losing over £200 a month by a little over 2%.
“We have seen players staking £50-and-over per spin for slots fall by 76%. Some operators have seen this reduce by over 90%, with the largest drop being over 98%,” he added.