Review of complaints processes in the gambling industry

The Gambling Commission has announced today the results of its review of the complaints processes in the gambling industry one year after the introduction of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. The review document can be downloaded below.

By way of background, in 2015, new regulations on ADR provision came into effect, under which the Gambling Commission became a competent authority for ADR provision in the gambling industry, and responsible for approving ADR providers. As part of this role, it decided to review how well complaint processes in the industry are working, and whether the changes have had any impact yet. Arising from this, it says that its review has:

  • shown that currently, “the complaints system in the gambling industry is not working for consumers, who have found it difficult to access, time consuming to use, and they question whether it is independent and transparent” and
  • identified “a clear need for both gambling businesses and ADR providers to improve the way they handle consumer disputes”.

The Commission adds that it will be working closely with gambling operators, ADR providers, trade associations and consumers and their representatives to make improvements to the system. It will also welcome views on the proposals from consumers directly, who are invited to share their thoughts on the review by emailing consumers@gamblingcommission.gov.uk