{"id":259413,"date":"2023-02-13T06:51:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T12:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=259413"},"modified":"2023-02-14T15:35:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T21:35:04","slug":"uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Gambling Commission Boss Rejects Claim Regulator is Forcing Affordability Checks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent reports have indicated that gamblers and bettors<\/a> in the UK are required to submit more affordability checks at the insistence of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). However, the gaming regulator\u2019s CEO, Andrew Rhodes, has rejected the idea that it\u2019s responsible.<\/p>\n

\"Andrew
Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the UK Gambling Commission, sits at a desk in a publicity photo, above. He has denied rumors that the gaming regulator is forcing operators to perform affordability checks. (Image: EGR Global)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rhodes insisted in a speech during last week’s World Regulatory Briefing at ICE that the rumor the UKGC is calling for greater affordability checks is \u201cnonsense.\u201d He said the regulator hasn’t requested operators implement blanket checks but added that assessing financial worthiness was always part of the operator\u2019s responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Rhodes also downplayed the idea that any type of affordability check would cause damage to the gaming industry. Despite a decrease in revenue and a survey by YouGov<\/a>, the agency the UKGC relies heavily on for research.<\/p>\n

\n

But several bettors have come under increased scrutiny lately by operators, according to the Racing Post<\/em> and other media outlets. Reports show that they have to turn over bank statements and tax records not only for themselves but, in some cases, for close friends and family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If this is happening, it\u2019s not the UKGC\u2019s doing, according to Rhodes. He said that all operators must have systems to \u201cidentify people who may be at risk of harm.\u201d This must explain the recent wave of odd requests. He stressed that the regulator doesn\u2019t require gaming operators to ask for bank statements, pay stubs, or other intrusive financial data.<\/p>\n

Not Our Fault<\/h2>\n

The UKGC has collected tens of millions of dollars in fines and \u201csettlements\u201d from operators recently for various failings. Among these have been, in some instances, a lack of proper UKGC-required scrutiny of a player\u2019s finances. As a result, operators may feel pressure to collect the data to avoid fines.<\/p>\n

Gambling spending in the UK is on the decline, although Rhodes doesn\u2019t believe that this is a result of tighter regulations. But some British lawmakers still assert that the UKGC is \u201cout of control<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his speech last week, Rhodes said the regulator\u2019s goal is for the gaming industry to have \u201cfrictionless checks\u201d that don\u2019t require consumers to \u201cpresent evidence\u201d of their financial status. He didn\u2019t explain how he envisions \u201cevidence-free\u201d proof of someone\u2019s economic stability.<\/p>\n

More White Paper Delays<\/h2>\n

The UK government has been reshuffling itself over the past year, which has delayed the presentation of a long-awaited gambling white paper. New chaos a week ago<\/a> added speculation that another delay was on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among other changes, moved Member of Parliament (MP) Michelle Donelan to the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). She was previously in charge of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which had a leading role in the white paper.<\/p>\n

\n

MP Paul Scully also moved to become part of the DSIT. Scully is a staunch supporter of commonsense gambling, having stated previously that the government doesn\u2019t need to tell people how they can spend on the activity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

These and the other changes come only about six weeks before the end of the parliamentary session. The UK Parliament goes on recess on March 30 and returns on April 17.<\/p>\n

Optimism is waning that the white paper will be released before the recess, despite assertions from the government that it is coming. The DCMS, following Scully\u2019s departure, has no gambling minister, which means a delay is almost inevitable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recent reports have indicated that gamblers and bettors in the UK are required to submit more affordability checks at the insistence of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). However, the gaming regulator\u2019s CEO, Andrew Rhodes, has rejected the idea that it\u2019s responsible. Rhodes insisted in a speech during last week’s World Regulatory Briefing at ICE that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":259412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13592],"tags":[81919,81915,82142],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUK Gambling Commission Boss Rejects Claim Regulator is Forcing Affordability Checks - Casino.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes responds to reports about affordability checks, arguing that the regulator isn't forcing operators to implement them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UK Gambling Commission Boss Rejects Claim Regulator is Forcing Affordability Checks - Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes responds to reports about affordability checks, arguing that the regulator isn't forcing operators to implement them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-13T12:51:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-14T21:35:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/UKGC-CEO-Andrew-Rhodes-sits-at-a-desk.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1656\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erik Gibbs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erik Gibbs\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/\",\"name\":\"UK Gambling Commission Boss Rejects Claim Regulator is Forcing Affordability Checks - Casino.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/UKGC-CEO-Andrew-Rhodes-sits-at-a-desk.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-13T12:51:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-14T21:35:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21bf33e35290a1da9c572298dac6b7ca\"},\"description\":\"UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes responds to reports about affordability checks, arguing that the regulator isn't forcing operators to implement them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/uk-gambling-commission-boss-rejects-claim-regulator-is-forcing-affordability-checks\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/UKGC-CEO-Andrew-Rhodes-sits-at-a-desk.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/UKGC-CEO-Andrew-Rhodes-sits-at-a-desk.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1656,\"caption\":\"Andrew Rhodes, the CEO of UK Gambling Commission, sits at a desk. 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