After months of indecision, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is updating its Social Responsibility Code to include new standards for “hot” transfers (the immediate transfer of a remote problem gambler to professional mental health services). The update is aimed at operators who are working under remote licenses and has been under debate for quite some time.
Under the terms of the update, players who have been red-flagged as potentially having a gambling problem, would be immediately transferred to GamCare, a UK charity that focuses on treatment and education for gambling addicts. GamCare offers a suite of services to operators that includes 24/7 access to counselors and other mental health services.
“The requirements that were set to take place, as part of the guidance associated with SR Code 3.4.3, aim to improve customer interaction processes including the need to take timely action when indicators of harm had been identified among customers,” a GamCare official said in a recent press release.
Operators who sign up with GamCare get more than just access to counselors, it also fulfills an important part of their compliance requirements. “For organisations, the service ensures that the right safeguards are in place for customers at risk of harm. We also provide regular updates on the outcome of transfers, so operators can see the impact that the service is having.”
The new standards for hot transfers are part of a larger effort in Great Britain to address the dangers of problems gambling. Operators must be in compliance with the new hot transfer standards by February, 2023.