UK gambling minister calls for industry data-sharing solution

The UK gambling minister Chris Philp has called on the gambling industry to come up with a solution to share data on player spending after the ICO gave its support to a single customer view.

UK.- UK minister Chris Philp has called on operators to “quickly deliver a meaningful solution” to allow the gambling industry to share data on player spending in order to better tackle gambling harm.

His comments come after the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), came out in support of the idea of a single customer view. Such a move would allow gambling operators to share information on player spending in order to be able to detect signs of problem gambling.

In its response to a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) consultation on British data policy post-Brexit, the ICO said it was in favour of data-sharing that could help businesses assess customer risk more accurately. This could include systems that allow businesses to use open banking to share data on customers.

The ICO said: “We support the Government’s intention to provide organisations with additional support in understanding risk and ensuring appropriate protections are applied. Approaches to new, innovative, and appropriate forms of data sharing are to be welcomed.”

However, the regulator said clarity would be needed as regards to who would be responsible for data protection.

“Operators must now come together to quickly deliver a meaningful solution.”

Chris Philp, the new UK minister responsible for gambling, said the ICO’s opinion could help reduce gambling harm. He has called for the industry to work on a cross-sector data-sharing solution.

He said: “We are determined to tackle problem gambling and we are undertaking a comprehensive review of our gambling laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age. I welcome the Information Commissioner’s Office findings that data can be shared safely and securely between operators to prevent problem gamblers running up crippling losses.

“It is essential that more action is taken to prevent people becoming dangerously addicted to gambling to the point that lives can be ruined. This is an important step towards protecting vulnerable people and operators must now come together to quickly deliver a meaningful solution.”

The UK government is currently carrying out a review of gambling legislation, which has not seen a major update since the 2005 Gambling Act.