The UK Gambling Commission faces criticism from the Horseracing Bettors’ Forum (HBF) for not opting to protect punters’ funds despite commitments to increased transparency.
On 4 February 2025, the regulator announced revisions to its license conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) and introduced new rules surrounding deposit limits, which have been in the pipeline since November 2023.
It is the latest of many changes enforced by the UK Gambling Commission, which has also undertaken initiatives such as overhauls to game machine technical standards.
Tim Miller, executive director at the UK Gambling Commission, said: “These changes will help consumers decide on deposit limits, enable them to keep track of their spending and ensure they are fully aware of what happens to their funds should an operator become insolvent.
“We will now continue our work to deliver our remaining white paper commitments, including our programme of evaluation.”
The commission promised to be more open about the level of security given to customer funds. However, punter funds will not receive the same treatment from operators in insolvency cases.
A spokesperson from HBF said: “The HBF appreciates the Gambling Commission’s decision to make sure every punter is made fully aware of the level of protection of funds by any bookmaker they may use, but remains stunned that the level of protection of ‘no protection’ remains deemed as acceptable.
“In our view, all punters’ funds should be fully protected in the event of insolvency.”
In the UK, gambling operators with customer funds must set out terms and conditions, including distinguishing whether they are protected in the instance of insolvency.
Four levels of protection include high protection, medium protection, not protected but with segregated funds, and not protected with no segregation of funds.
The changes will come into effect on October 31, 2025. They will mandate that all operators, including the best UK online slots, inform customers to set limits before depositing. They will also be required to remind customers to review and confirm their account information every six months.
In other news, the wife of a gambler is determined to get gambling ads banned in the UK.
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