UK Bettors Seek Greater Freedom With Betting

The UK is home to one of the world's best-regulated gambling industries. Overseen by the Gambling Commission, UK betting regulations provide a framework for operators to work within, with safeguards designed to protect consumers.

Betting operators are obligated to ensure vulnerable customers are given any help they require, and consumers under the age of 18 are unable to place bets. These regulations impact how retail and online betting operators go about their business, with all licensed online betting sites in the UK having to sign up to the Gamstop register.

Gamstop is a voluntary self-exclusion service that all operators must run potential new customers through before they are given an account. The digital register makes it easy for operators to determine who has self-excluded, prohibiting them from being able to place bets. However, there are alternatives available to consumers, with online gambling expert Liliana Costache explaining that the best licensed offshore operators offer consumers protection and a way to place bets with sites not on Gamstop.

Retail bookmakers offer a similar service, but these self-exclusion programs are limited to individual bookmakers. This means that consumers can self-exclude from a specific shop in their local area, as well as a selection of others nearby. Consumers will have to fill out a form indicating which LBOs (licensed betting offices) they want to self-exclude from, and they can provide a photo to make it easier to identify them.

This system is not completely foolproof, with staff coming into a shop potentially not recognising customers. It also requires customers to self-exclude from each individual operator, such as Ladbrokes, William Hill, Coral, etc.

Online bookmakers in the UK also require consumers to prove their age, with retail betting operators typically using a 'Think 25' policy that encourages staff to ID customers who could be 25 or younger.

While these measures have been brought in to protect consumers, other measures have been criticised by some who want more freedom when it comes to new regulations. Newly implemented stake limits will restrict players aged from 18 to 24 to a maximum of £2 per spin on electronic gambling machines. Bettors over the age of 25 will be restricted to maximum stakes of £5.

Slot machines have also been in the firing line, with fast-paced game designs that encourage high-speed gambling being targeted. A 5-second minimum speed will be implemented to slow these games down.

Financial assessments will be part of the verification procedures, with operators evaluating their affordability and setting limits appropriate to this.

As well as how much and how quickly players can bet, new regulations will also restrict the bonuses that UK casinos and sportsbooks will be allowed to offer. Operators will no longer be able to enforce terms and conditions for bonuses that require customers to play multiple games, with wagering requirements exceeding 10x the bet also being stopped.

A recent UK survey found that 54% of consumers believed that these restrictions could have an adverse effect on their intended purpose. With UK betting sites seeing bonuses being restricted, there are fears that this could impact the gambling industry, with consumers exploring alternatives.

How UK Consumers Benefit from Offshore Gambling Facilities

Offshore betting sites that are licensed in external jurisdictions provide consumers with secure betting facilities that don't have to follow UK laws and restrictions. With so many options available, operators use bonuses as a way to stand out from their competitors and attract new customers.

With offshore betting sites offering bigger bonuses, it makes sense that UK consumers will explore these markets, with cryptocurrencies making international payments easier. Not only will this be bad news for the UK's betting operators, but it will also limit the protection that regulators can provide.

While licensed offshore betting sites can provide safe betting options for consumers, there are also unregulated options that are not as secure.

Because of this, lawmakers are being urged to reconsider some of the new measures being implemented, with bettors asking for more freedom to pick and choose the betting options and bonuses that they want.

One way that operators could continue to offer freedom to customers, but also help protect them, is through the use of AI and ML, with data being easily processed to determine betting patterns and potential issues.