UKGC CEO urges industry to work together
The executive called on the industry in order to make the local market the fairest and safest in the world.
UK.- UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Chief Executive Neil McArthur has called on the industry to work together and know their customers better to make gambling in Britain the fairest and safest in the world. The CEO participates at the regulator’s Raising Standards Conference at the International Conference Centre in Birmingham.
The event was attended by 170 leaders from more than 100 gambling businesses and is aimed at encouraging the most senior members of the industry to take action to boost fairness and safety. “This is a call to action to join the race to the top,” he said. “A race to put your customers, their enjoyment and their safety at the top of the agenda for your management meetings, your board meetings and meetings with your investors.”
McArthur told delegates that he wants gambling businesses to collaborate and focus on three areas – understanding the early signs which could indicate a customer is experiencing or developing problems, interacting with those customers to ensure they can receive support and advice, and rebuilding public trust by changing advertising strategies.
“A race to approach the minimum requirements we impose as exactly that: minimums not maximums. A race to look for real solutions to the public health issue of gambling-related harm,” the CEO added.
Guy Parker, ASA Chief Executive, said: “The existing rules that regulate the content and targeting of gambling advertising are working effectively, but there is public concern about the timing and quantity. Today’s Gambling Commission conference is a great opportunity for gambling firms to discuss how those concerns might be addressed.”
George Lusty, CMA Senior Director for Consumer Protection, said: “We’ve seen gambling operators making changes to promotions and withdrawal practices, and this is a great start, but it’s only one aspect of achieving compliance and clearly much more needs to be done by the sector to win back customer trust.
