British Gambling Commission delays new direct marketing rule

The regulator has put back the implementation due to concerns about the wording.

UK.- The Gambling Commission has announced that it has put back the introduction of a new rule on direct marketing by consent. The update has been delayed because operators raised concerns that the wording was unclear.

The original wording of the update of Social Responsibility Code section 5.1.12 in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) gave the impression that operators could have to deny access to services to players who had already opted in until they set marketing preferences. Operators were also in doubt as to whether they could transfer existing customer preferences.

The regulator has put back the implementation of the new rule to May 1 2025 instead of January 17. The regulator has also confirmed that existing customer preferences can be transferred but only after a player has opted in to direct marketing for specific products and through specific channels. Players must be given the opportunity to update their preferences when they log in from May 1.

Meanwhile, the Gambling Commission published a technical update as it started its pilot of financial risk assessments for online gambling on Friday (August 30). The pilot of frictionless “light touch” checks forms part of a four-stage plan and will see checks initially tested for customer accounts that receive deposits of over £500 a month.

The pilot involves credit agencies as well as online gambling operators and will examine the impact on customers. The deposit threshold will be reduced to £150 a month by February 28 2025.