Online gambling legislation in the UK
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If you are interested in the topic of online casinos, you will know that there are several jurisdictions that provide gambling licenses to operators, which effectively gives them the right to offer their services legally. There are many common ones, but the UK Gambling Commission is undoubtedly the most reputable and famous in the world.
In this country there have always been government bodies that have controlled this sector, however, the Gambling Commission, as we know it today with its regulatory elements, was only put in place in 2014.
A look at its history takes us back to 2007, when it was created by virtue of the 2005 Gaming Law, which was updated to adapt the regulations concerning the licensing and advertising of gaming businesses in the aforementioned year 2014. Following the changes in the legislation, the UK Gambling Commission took over the overall control of the professional standards of the online gambling sector.
It emerged as an institution in response to the growth experienced by online gambling (remote operators) in the UK, a sector that since its emergence has not stopped growing, currently accounting for around one third of the gambling market in the country.
It is a public and independent entity, whose main objective is to regulate commercial gaming and the National Lottery. Since its creation, it is the authority in charge of managing gaming licenses and ensuring that the list of online casinos authorized to operate in the UK does not include any that do not comply with the necessary requirements to maintain them.
They report to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and operate from a Board of Commissioners divided into several decision-making committees. In total it employs some 250 staff, most of whom work in offices at its headquarters in Birmingham, in close collaboration with the UK Gambling Licensing Authorities, the Police and the Inland Revenue.
This Gambling Commission is one of the strictest regulators in existence. An online casino in the UK must strive to obtain one of its licenses, which naturally grants the operator the right to provide its services to English players. Anyone who does not strictly adhere to the regulations set by this entity could end up having their license revoked.
Among the advantages of playing in casinos regulated by the UK Gambling Commission is the certainty of knowing that it is not a scam, because it protects the players, verifies the operation, ensures the deposited funds and guides in case of conflicts.
Undoubtedly, it is a guarantee that any casino or betting house with headquarters, registered office or exercising its activity in this country, is obliged by law to adhere to the regulatory standards on the treatment of personal and financial data of players, respecting their right to privacy. This is essential to obtain and maintain a license.
The implications of these standards, in addition to privacy, help to avoid the risks of exposing your data to malicious third parties, or who could take advantage of this information without your authorization. This ranges from marketing the data for advertising to impersonation or capital theft. These security standards with respect to data privacy also serve to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks.
The testing of gaming systems is another of the main anti-fraud measures carried out by the UK Gambling Commission, which verifies that all casino games (slots, blackjack tables, roulette …) are truly randomly operated and cannot be manipulated.
It also includes the measures to be taken in the event that external factors, such as a cut in the connection, affect the outcome of the game. In general, all these possibilities are contemplated in the terms and conditions of each game.
These are some of the features of the UK Gambling Commission that help to understand why it is so important that you always play in regulated casinos: otherwise you will not have any rights, and defending yourself in case of a scam will be very complicated.
