Raise your game or face the penalty, UK operators warned
Gambling Commission CEO says firms must quicken pace at which they are putting customers at heart of business
Operators could have their British licence revoked if they fail to quickly improve the quality of service and protections they provide customers, Gambling Commission chief exec Sarah Harrison has warned.
In a speech given at the Commission’s first Raising Standards Conference in Birmingham yesterday, Harrison said that while she had seen improvements in some standards among operators, they must accelerate the pace at which they were putting consumers at the heart of business decisions.
Harrison highlighted progression in areas such as the development and implementation of harm reduction strategies and gambling management tools for consumers.
“But you need to raise your ambitions and your sights higher,” Harrison insisted.
“You need to step up the pace of change – in how you handle customer complaints; ensure advertising is clear; simplify terms and conditions; develop your risk management strategies on money laundering; evaluate the impact of social responsibility initiatives – and, working across all these areas, in how you do more to share best practice.
“[â¦] don’t wait for a crisis to happen that shakes the very foundation of customers’ trust in your industry. Act now and demonstrate to consumers that your interest in their needs is genuine,” she added.
Harrison also warned that future failures could result in stronger punishments, with the regulator proposing to remove the current preference for financial penalties in a move which could potentially see more licences be put under review.
“We will put access to all tools, including licence review – both of the operator and personal management licences – on an equal footing. Put simply we will use the right tool for the job,” Harrison said.
“In addition, we will propose changes to our statement on financial penalties with the likelihood of higher penalties going forward, in particular where we see systemic and repeated failings.
“Our principles on penalties already reflect the need to remove profits from non-compliance, take account of costs and consumer harm, and deter poor compliance but higher penalties are likely if we do not see behaviour changing.”
The call from Harrison comes after the Gambling Commission last month launched a new âtwo-way conversation’ strategy, aimed at listening and responding to public concerns in order to shape future gambling regulation.