Responsible gambling has turned into an objective as important as the regulations of the industry itself. Gambling operators were required to introduce a self-exclusion scheme to protect vulnerable gamblers from gambling-related issues. The operators should meet the specific responsible gambling conditions of the countries they target. Many people argued that the self-exclusion system is of no use and it fails to protect vulnerable players. According to the latest updates, the number of self-excluded players in the UK has dramatically grown since the previous year.
UK-facing gambling operators revealed that last year, they have received nearly 50,000 requests from customers to close their accounts. This presents a rise of 7,000 requests in comparison to the previous year. The online gambling industry, on the other hand, keeps on thriving. The Gambling Commission announced that approximately £4.7 billion was gambled away in 2016-17. This proves the fact that the UK online gambling industry has been expanding at a rapid pace, which means that regulations should be also tough.
Gambling addiction has become a significant public health concern in the UK. In an attempt to efficiently prevent gambling-related issues, the country is to facilitate the whole process of self-exclusion. From next year, all operators will be required to offer Gamstop self-exclusion scheme. It allows players to “restrict” themselves from gambling by registering with a single website. At present, players need to request all online operators they hold an account with to close their accounts. That is to help players, who already have decided to self-exclude themselves with one operator, to do so with all other operators.
UK’s iGaming Sector to Reach Unprecedented Scope
The Gambling Commission projected that the UK’s iGaming sector is to become the country’s most developed sector within the gambling industry. Figures revealed that the online gambling spends surged by more than £428 million in 2016-17 in comparison to the year before. The data also showed that £13.7 billion was spent on British gambling industry for 2016-17. Figures from the UK Gambling Commission were made public after the watchdog announced that the online gambling operators should be more initiative in dealing with gambling-related issues.
According to the former gambling addict Tony Franklin, self-exclusion schemes fail to effectively prevent vulnerable players. He added that gambling addicts most often do not realize that they have a problem. He suggested that affordability checks should be processed prior to allowing players to gamble. The Remote Gambling Association, on the other hand, said that it is impossible to implement such checks, referring to them as “intrusive assessment”. Chief Executive Clive Hawkswood explained that the problem is deeply rooted and its solution requires a multi-faceted approach. He added that Gamstop will not eliminate the problem, but it will be a useful tool for those, who are unable to control their gambling habits.
