UKGC to face competence and effectiveness inquiry launched by parliamentary group

A parliamentary group has launched an inquiry into the competence of the UK Gambling Commission, citing ongoing complaints by industry members about the commission’s activities for years to date.

According to the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group (APBGG), a group of Parliamentarians who have a shared interest in the UK gambling industry, operators are “too scared” to go public with their concerns about the industry regulator. The inquiry would assess the UKGC’s competence and effectiveness.

“For a number of years, industry members have come to us and complained about the activities of the commission,” said APBGG’s co-chair Scott Benton MP. “They have been too scared to go public with their concerns, some even about the very legality of the commission’s undertakings, due to the commission’s power over them.”

The investigation, launched after receiving numerous criticisms, comes at a time in which the government prepares its review of the 2005 Gambling Act. The role of the UKGC is one area to be examined in the process.

Critical reports by the Public Accounts Committee, National Audit Office and House of Lords Select Committee in 2020 do not cover the full number of allegations against the UKGC, said the parliamentary group. Benton considers that the commission, as the key player in the industry, should be challenged over its actions.

“As they have no formal method of complaint apart from the commission itself, we feel it is our duty to provide a conduit for legitimate criticism of the regulator,” added Benton on the criticisms received by industry members.

The APBGG called operators who have felt the commission has acted beyond its powers as a regulator to voice their complaints and for evidence to be presented. Moreover, the parliamentary group has been optimistic about the appointment of new interim CEO Andrew Rhodes, who has been given the job of “rebooting” the regulator.

“We hope that the findings of our investigation will help him and DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] answer some very serious concerns that the industry has,” remarked Benton. “All the British gambling industry wants is a competent and effective regulator.”

A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said, in response to the inquiry, that the commission is “committed to making gambling fairer, safer and crime-free,” and that, in order to achieve this, the UKGC “regularly and openly” engages with parliamentarians on both the Gambling Act review and to discuss a range of topics within its regulatory purview.

The Gambling Act review will look at online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission in order to examine in detail how gambling has changed over the past 15 years and to ensure gambling laws are fit for the digital age. Protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers, as well as whether extra protections for young adults are needed, will all be explored.