Archive | December, 2020

UKGC decides against requiring its licence holders to provide access to blocking software f.o.c.

On 14 February 2019, the Gambling Commission published a call for evidence seeking views on whether gambling operators should have to provide access to blocking software free of charge to customers, and how this could most effectively be delivered. On 23 December 2020, it published the following ‘Consultation Response’: We asked In 2019, the Gambling […]

10 forecasts and a hope for 2021

In his December 2020 Licensing Expert article for SBC News, entitled “10 forecasts and a hope for 2021”, David Clifton polishes his crystal ball and asks: “What exactly does 2021 hold insofar as the Gambling Act Review is concerned and how could it affect your business?”. You can download below David’s article as published by […]

Deadline extended to respond to Remote Customer Interaction Consultation & Call for Evidence

The Gambling Commission has today (21 December 2020) confirmed that it has extended until Tuesday 9 February 2021 its “Remote Customer Interaction Consultation and Call for Evidence” that was launched on 3 November 2020. Particularly given that the Commission is proposing “to introduce stronger requirements, including that operators must conduct defined affordability assessments at thresholds set by the […]

UKGC commences consultation on gambling participation and problem gambling prevalence research

The Gambling Commission has today (18 January 2020) commenced a consultation – that will close on 12 February 2021 – in which it shares its intentions with regard to changing the research methodology it uses to collect gambling participation and problem gambling prevalence statistics. The Commission says that it believes that “this new approach will […]

UKGC’s annual assessment of ML & TF risks within the British gambling industry demands very careful attention

Hard on the heels of the third HM Treasury and Home Office National Money Laundering (“ML”) and Terrorist Financing (“TF”) Risk Assessment comes (belated) publication of the Gambling Commission’s annual assessment of the ML and TF risks within the British gambling industry (that you can download below). This risk assessment compares individual gambling sub-sector risks […]

No room for complacency despite third National ML & TF Risk Assessment still finding UK gambling sector “low risk”

HM Treasury and the Home Office have published the UK’s third National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing (that you can download below). The first such assessment was published in 2015 (as reported by us here). The second was published in 2017 (reported by us here). The Foreword to this most recent National […]

UKGC data shows how renewed COVID-19 restrictions impacted gambling behaviour in October 2020

Following on from publication of its March to September 2020 data showing the impact of Covid-19 on gambling behaviour in September 2020, the Gambling Commission has now published fresh data “showing how the renewed tightening of Covid-19 lockdown measures impacted gambling behaviour in Great Britain in October 2020”. The Commission’s website announcement of publication of […]