The gambling industry’s future is bright and crime-free. That’s the vision that UK Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes delivered as he addressed a group of gambling industry players at the ICE 2022 World Regulatory Briefing this week. Rhodes’ words were no doubt of great interest to operators who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the UKGC’s ongoing review of the Gambling Act of 2005, but Rhodes was reassuring.
Rhodes’ speech had a particular focus on the potential harm that can come from today’s online gambling products, and how the industry can work to mitigate that harm. “There are some universal truths about the industry we regulate, but we also need to be realistic about those truths and not lose sight of what else is happening in this sector,” he said.
“There is a whole new frontier of novel products out there now, and I want to talk about these unregulated products also. Like traditional gambling though, these novel products can and do cause harm, so I will update you on where we see our work in tackling gambling harms right now.”
In particular, Rhodes pointed to the upcoming Single Customer Viewpoint, as a means of helping the industry track problem gamblers before their problems are too out of hand. “What we are hoping will be possible through the Single Customer View is a position where those who are being flagged as being in distress can be intercepted at a much earlier stage as operators are able to safely alert each other.”
Rhodes went on to point out that the UK gaming industry frequently sets the standard for the rest of the world, and that he hopes the upcoming reforms will set the standard towards a more positive future.