Payslips from UK Gamblers May Be Requested to Prevent Unaffordable Losses

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: January 5, 2022

Gambling companies may ask for payslips to avoid excessive loss from UK gamblers. Chris Philip – the gambling minister, has suggested stricter gambling laws in order to protect people who may be vulnerable to gambling addiction. He believes that it is their “moral obligation” to solve this issue that was raised after Andrew Rhodes, the head of the Gambling Commission who said that some operators were not following the rules and viewed regulatory fines as a form of taxation.

Speaking at this year’s annual conference of Gamble Aware, he said that he has heard many stories about people losing a huge amount of money due to gambling without gambling companies checking up on them even though they have their data. He revealed that he is aware that there are marketing campaigns that still target users with obvious gambling issues. Philip also that they should take certain actions in order to address that issue.

White Paper Proposals

The minister further stated that there next year will be published a white paper which will include certain proposals made by the government such as reasonable checks that prevent operators from interceding when a better loses large sums of money. However, he said that demanding a payroll or bank statement from every consumer who spends ￡ 100 may be undesirable, disruptive, and disproportionate.

Philip further mentioned that it is “critical” to force gambling companies to share data about gambling addicts through the “Single Customer View” system. Despite that campaigners are concerned that the development of this system will be left to them, Philip said that the government is considering other options.

The Gambling Commission’s Standpoint

He said the Gambling Commission would seek additional funding to enhance its regulatory capacity, including the option to order gambling companies to share data with them in order for them to analyze it and check whether the companies are protecting people vulnerable to gambling. They all have an ethical liability to protect their fellow customers who are suffering from gambling addiction.

Speaking at the event, Rhodes said that gaming and betting companies are still failing in their mandate to protect gamblers, despite efforts to introduce better behavior before the review. He stated that many handlers don’t obey their regulations and that some betting firms are starting to see administrative fines and compensations, equivalent to ￡100 million since 2017, as an acquiescence tax. Rhodes has criticized gambling companies, saying that the market will be doing better if the regulations are much stricter. This claim was also supported by some MPs who have experience with the gambling industry and its hospitality.

“We welcome the minister’s announcement that the government is working with the Gambling Commission to take steps to better protect people at risk of gambling harms through affordability checks, a single customer view, and a data repository to inform intervention and uphold industry standards,” – said GambleAware CEO Zoe Osmond.

Osmond urged the government to impose mandatory taxes on gambling firms and make funds for betting addiction research and therapy.