UK Gambling Commission Introduces New Age Verification Rules
The UK Gambling Commission has introduced new age and identity verification rules today (May 7).
The new rules were first announced in February and are aimed at preventing gambling addictions and underage gambling while also ensuring that online gambling remains fair to players.
Under the rules, casino operators will need to completely verify a player’s name, address and date of birth before allowing them to participate in any online gambling. Prior to this, operators were given 72 hours to complete their verification checks.
It’s thought that the Commission’s new rules will help detect criminal activity while also identifying customers who had previously self-excluded themselves from gambling.
In addition to the above, unregistered users who wish to play games for free must now also be registered and age verified in order to play.
What They Say
Back when the new rules were first announced, Jeremy Wright, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said the rules “add an extra layer of protection for children and young people who attempt to gamble online”.
He added: “By extending strong age verification rules to free-to-play games we are creating a much safer online environment for children, helping to shut down a possible gateway to gambling-related harm.”
Neil McArthur, Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission, added: “These changes will help protect children and the vulnerable from gambling-related harm and reduce the risk of crime linked to gambling. They will also make gambling fairer by helping consumers collect their winnings without unnecessary delay.”
The UK Gambling Commission’s new rules come into effect today and all casino operators within the United Kingdom are required to follow them.