The UK has some of the most accessible gambling services in the world, and as a result, it creates thousands of local jobs from London casino dealers to slot game developers. Although there are plenty of ways to gamble legally in the UK, there are still regulations in place to keep people protected while enjoying these games.
Who Oversees UK Gambling?
Gambling in the UK is regulated by The UK Gambling Commission. It is their responsibility to outline regulations and monitor the industry to ensure bookmakers and casinos are abiding by the rules. They can also investigate bookmakers who may have broken any of the regulations and put players at risk. If they have, The UK Gambling Commission can suspend gambling licenses and hand out hefty fines, sometimes equalling millions of pounds each year. This is why those bookmakers tend to employ people in-house to ensure they are complying by UK gambling legislation.
What Is Legal Gambling in the UK?
UK punters are free to gamble on a range of sports and casino games. Sports betting is entirely legal and contributes to the economy the most through betting on the Premier League. Casinos offer a selection of classic games, such as poker, blackjack, roulette, slot games and more. These casinos and online casinos must hold a valid UK gambling license to operate. You can usually spot these licenses at the bottom of their homepage, or stay safe by only visiting casinos via respected casino comparison sites like CompareCasino.com
UK Gambling Advertising Regulations
Not only do gambling advertisements in the UK have to abide by rules set down by the Advertisement Standards Authority (ASA), but they must also keep in toe with specific gambling advertising rules. This need to be clear and include information that they are not allowed to mislead players, include people in adverts who look younger than 25, not be present as a sponsor on children’s sport jerseys, as a few examples.
Many other rules exist, and some MPs are trying to obtain a ban on gambling adverts/sports sponsorship altogether.
The Latest Regulation Changes: Credit Cards and Casinos
The UK’s gambling regulations are subject to frequent review and changes. Any changes are usually communicated in advance to help casinos and bookmakers prepare and make those changes.
One of the latest changes took place in April 2020 when credit cards became banned at online casinos and online sports bookmakers. This move was implemented to protect players from gambling with money that they were yet to “own”. It is thought to be safer if players can only gamble with money they already have, rather than the credit given to them by loan providers and banks.
The timing of this change was welcome considering it was pre-scheduled for April. At this time, the UK went into lockdown and there was concern that people would gamble more. This credit card casino ban was welcome to mitigate the chance of problem gambling developing.
