The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is taking a significant step toward enhancing consumer protection with a new pilot program aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of affordability checks. In a blog post dated August 27, Helen Rhodes, Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation at the UKGC, outlined the details and goals of this initiative.
This pilot is a key part of the UKGC’s broader strategy to safeguard consumers from gambling-related harms. It follows extensive consultations and research on affordability, leading to a refined approach to financial risk assessments. The pilot will test these measures in a controlled setting before they are rolled out more widely.
Importantly, the pilot will not involve real consumer accounts. Instead, it will use data from major remote gambling operators to simulate financial risk scenarios. The goal is to assess how effectively these measures can identify high-spending individuals experiencing significant financial difficulties and how best to offer them support without causing undue inconvenience.
Helen Rhodes explained, “We are testing how operators can be given limited information to understand how severe these financial difficulties might be in order to take action to support the customer.” This approach aims to ensure that any future measures are both protective and user-friendly.
Pilot’s Goals and Expected Outcomes
Spanning six to seven months, the pilot will be conducted in three phases. During this period, the UKGC will evaluate several factors, including the integration of financial risk assessments into the customer journey, the processing speed of credit reference agencies, and the accuracy of the data.
The UKGC will also analyze how to present this data to operators and integrate it into existing customer interactions. If the pilot proves successful, the UKGC plans to implement these affordability checks more broadly. The Commission has pledged to collaborate with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for long-term evaluations to ensure that the policy effectively meets its objectives and continues to protect consumers as the gambling landscape evolves.
Helen Rhodes added, “These decisions would also be informed by wider considerations of data, evidence, consultation responses, and our consumer research.” The pilot program underscores the UKGC’s commitment to advancing consumer protection while fostering innovation within the gambling industry.
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