UKGC launches consultation on credit card ban
The UK watchdog is considering the prohibition of credit cards in online betting.
UK.- The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed on Thursday that it launched a consultation on the use of credit cards in online betting, as well as other forms of gaming machine limits. The watchdog is inviting the public and industry members to provide their views on the subject.
The UKGC also revealed that it is seeking for submissions on whether free gambling blocking software should be provided to consumers of online gaming sites. This is part of a three-month consultation that follows the commission’s enforcement of strict age verification checks and limits on free-to-play games announced earlier this month. “[The commission] is seeking meaningful input to help determine if restrictions, potentially including an outright ban, are necessary to limit risks to consumers,” reads the UKGC notice.
In April, the maximum stake on Category B2 gaming machines (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals -FOBTs-) will be reduced from £100 to £2. Category B1 machines in casinos and Category B3 machines, sited in arcades, bingo halls and betting shops, offer maximum stakes of £5 and £2 respectively, but at up to eight times the speed of play of B2 games.
According to the regulator’s data, risks associated with Category B1 and B3 machines are broadly similar to the risks with B2 machines at a £100 maximum stake. Those options include tracking play, using time and monetary limits and alerts, and communicating messages about gambling safely. The commission also said it wants to hear about industry efforts to evaluate harm prevention measures.
Paul Hope, an executive director at the UKGC, said: “We are exploring measures that could help reduce the risk of harm to consumers who use their credit cards to gamble online, and to those who play on all Category B machines. We want consumers, gambling firms and other interested parties to have their say and provide evidence that will help us make gambling safer.”
