UKGC releases its 2019-20 Business Plan, with a focus on the exposure of children

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published Tuesday its 2019-20 Business Plan, which outlines the Commission’s key areas of focus for the next 12 months in terms of protecting consumers, preventing harm, raising standards, optimizing returns to good causes from lotteries, and improving the way it regulates.

Neil McArthur, CEO of the UKGC, said in a statement: “This business plan highlights the projects and milestones we will complete during 2019-20 as we move into the second year of our Strategy 2018-2021. Our overriding objective is to make gambling fairer and safer for consumers, in what is a constantly developing market. I am proud of the progress we have made with our ambitious strategy, but I am also clear that there is much more to do.”

As the regulator moves into the second year of its 2018-2021 strategy, the UKGC intends to “secure a more sustainable funding structure for education, prevention and treatment – ensuring the outcomes are measured and evaluated.”

Alongside the new Business Plan, the UKGC is also set to launch its National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms which will explore issues facing the industry at the minute such as the use of credit cards to wager bets.

According to the plan, the regulator will continue to work to improve the consumer complaints process; to push the industry to raise its consumer protection standards and demonstrate that they know their customers and use what they know to protect them; to support them by sharing best practice and encouraging collaboration through a programme of workshops, interactive events and partnership working; and to be “tough on regulation and pursue those who break the rules.”

UKGC states that protecting children and the vulnerable from being harmed or exploited by gambling will continue to be a priority, with a focus on the exposure of children to gambling products. “Ensuring operators intervene and protect those who are experiencing harm, or are at risk of developing problems with their gambling, will also be a priority. We will continue to work hard to keep out and remove operators and individual personal management licence holders who are unsuitable to operate under our licences,” McArthur says in the plan’s foreword.

In addition, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Lottery. Over its lifetime, it has generated £39 billion (USD 50,834,160,000) for good causes benefitting arts, sports, heritage and community projects all over the country; and this success must continue. “The competition for the next National Lottery licence will focus strongly on how emerging technology can play a pivotal role in delivering an innovative, safe, interactive and truly world-class offering which continues to benefit society,” UKGC’s CEO remarks.