The United Kingdom Gambling Commission is planning to bring stricter Identification checks. The commission is planning to do that to make sure that the players who signed for Self Exclusion are unable to cheat the self-exclusion system, so they cannot place more bets.
The UKGC is planning to Bring Tougher ID Checks for Self Exclusion
The move comes following the statement by the head of GamStop. GamStop is a scheme that aims to help problem gamblers, where they can self-exclude themselves from placing more bets. The head stated that she was quite concerned following the BBC Radio 5 Live investigation. The investigation found that a gambler that enters the self-exclusion scheme can still place more bets, and players can achieve that by doing something straightforward, which is changing the user details. A spokesperson of the UKGC stated that they were already aware of the issues that the investigation raised.
The commission’s spokesperson also added that the UKGC is going to announce the consultation’s outcome, which focused on identity verification. If the commission starts to implement these new measures and proposals, the gambling operators are going to have to prohibit players from gambling using the wrong user details. She added that GamStop is still going through its testing phase, and there is always room for improvement. The self-exclusion schemes have to be effective, as much as possible, to protect the players and that when a system reaches a final form, they expect all operators to take part.
The BBC Radio 5 Live Investigation
The investigation by BBC Radio 5 Live showed that this system does not work correctly, and that problem gamblers can easily exploit it and find a way around it. The CEO of GamStop, Fiona Palmer, stated that she admits that they know that the service is not working as it should be. She also said that they are taking the feedback to heart and that they are looking for ways to improve the system.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling’s spokesperson, Matt Zarb-Cousin, stated that the results of the investigation are not surprising, but hopefully, the system will improve in light of that investigation. He added that even if the scheme of GamStop becomes efficient as a self-exclusion system, it would only be beneficial when it comes to British sites that the UKGC licenses, but all other casino sites that are not, will still be accessible by the players. For it to be an effective self-exclusion scheme, it has to be layered. He stated that he is involved with Gamban and that according to evaluation, it is the most effective blocking scheme.
What is GamStop?
GamStop launched back in April of last year, and more than fifty-thousand people signed up for it. The service allows players to ban themselves from internet gambling platforms. It has different periods, so problem gamblers can decide for how long they need to be away from online gambling. The exclusion includes placing bets, getting promotional offers from gaming sites and marketing materials. An NPO called The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Ltd. is the entity behind it.
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