UKGC urges firms to review terms and conditions

The Gambling Commission said that it is time to take action on unfair terms, therefore firms need to review their conditions before the New Year.

UK.- The United Kingdom Gambling Commission urged firms to review the terms and conditions they have in place before action is stepped up in the New Year in a move that would assure consumers are treated in a fair way.

The announcement is the result of joint work with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which investigated unfair terms and misleading practices conducted by online gambling firms. A big number of online gambling operators could be breaking consumer protection law, through terms and conditions of bonus promotions that aren’t clear and instances where customer rights were violated, as well as an impossibility to access their own money and winnings, the entity discovered.

Some of the concerns include: consumers being unable to clearly distinguish between play with the bonus balance and the deposit balance, significant conditions in relation to promotions not being provided to consumers in a clear, timely, transparent and non misleading manner, and terms that assume consumers consented to the use of any personal information for promotional purposes for the operator’s benefit.

Sarah Gardner, UKGC Executive Director, said that is is of paramount importance that consumers are empowered to make informed choices about their gambling and that the information available about their rights is correct and clear to them. “The CMA’s findings have indicated that currently there is an imbalance between gambling firms and consumers – too often weighted in the favour of the operator. The CMA has set out its concerns to the gambling industry – this sets out clearly the changes which online gambling operators need to make to ensure promotions and practices are compliant with consumer protection law.”

The official added that they’ve been making it clear to the industry that they need to “get their house in order on this,” therefore there is no excuse for operators not to act urgently in the interests of consumers. “We plan to step up action in the New Year to ensure that consumers are being treated fairly,” Gardner said.

“Too often we have found that the terms and conditions have been complicated, one-sided and difficult to understand. Addressing this is a priority in our recently launched strategy – a roadmap for a fairer, and safer gambling market. Our work over the next three years will include ensuring greater transparency from gambling firms in the information they make available to their customers and we’ll be working with the industry to ensure that consumers can make decisions about their gambling more confidently,” she added.