Summary:
The Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.4.3, which was published in April, will come into force on September 12 but other rules will be delayed until at least February 2023, according to the GB Gambling Commission. The decision was made after the industry requested an extension due to technical challenges.
The Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.4.3, which was published in April, will come into force on 12 September, but other rules will be delayed until at least February 2023, according to the GB Gambling Commission. The decision was made after the industry requested an extension due to technical challenges.
Operators now have more time to meet the requirement of taking timely action where indicators of vulnerability are identified and to take account of the Commission’s approach to vulnerability as set out in the Commission’s guidance. There are strong indicators of harm when it comes to preventing marketing and the take-up of new bonus offers.
The Commission published guidance on customer interaction for remote operators in June, but operators will not have to take it into account. Plans to conduct a consultation on the guidance have been outlined.
The monitoring of a specific range of indicators, as a minimum, to identify gambling harm, and the implementation of automated processes for strong indicators of harm are some of the requirements that will come into force this month.
The majority of the new requirements will come into force on September 12th, according to the Gambling Commission. The minimum steps that we consider are necessary to meet that duty are reflected in the new requirements for remote gambling operators.
The consultation on guidance is likely to start in late September. Before a decision is made on the contents of the guidance on the new requirements, the Commission said all views expressed in response to this consultation will be considered.
The guidance is intended to be amended over time, according to the Commission. We are particularly interested in hearing about best practices for implementing the rules, based on the lessons operators learned between April and September, as well as any consequences resulting from current research, evidence, and casework, during the consultation process.
The guidance on the requirements will take effect approximately two months after the publication of the guidance, according to the Commission.
Andrew Rhodes, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said in introducing the new rules in April that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm. Our expectations are even more explicit because of the new rules.
We will not hesitate to take tough action against operators who do not tackle gambling harms quickly and effectively.