“Britain has the largest regulated online gambling market in the world, and we are continually looking for ways to make it even fairer and safer for consumers.”
Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission Chief Executive.
Players at online casinos which are licensed and regulated should feel safe in the knowledge that there are safeguards in place for their protection and security – play now. And online casinos with the support of The Gambling Commission continually review and improve these safeguards.
What is a safeguard?
A safeguard is a reasonable measure put in place to keep someone protected from harm or damage. All licensed online casinos have a legal obligation to safeguard their players.
An online casino site can only secure a licence if it complies with the three licensing objectives set out in The Gambling Act 2005.
These objectives are:
- To prevent gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime and disorder or being used to support crime.
- Ensuring gambling is conducted in a fair or open way
- Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
If online casinos do not safeguard their players, they risk losing their licence!
What are online casinos safeguarding players against?
Online casino sites are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Gambling online is a fun pastime for many but as with anything online, it comes with risks. Millions of players transact money gambling online and online casinos store important personal information about their players. This makes online casinos attractive targets for criminals such as hackers. Online there can be an increased risk of being susceptible to unfair pay outs or hidden terms, it’s easier for underage or vulnerable people to access casinos online and more difficult for an online casino operator to notice signs of problem gambling.
How does an online casino safeguard its players?
Licensed online casinos in the UK need to safeguard their players to ensure that they are providing a safe and secure environment for players to enjoy gambling.
| Objective | Safeguards |
| To prevent gambling being a source of crime and disorder | · Encrypting all web traffic and storing data with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.
· Undergo frequent software and system audits. · Offer several methods of depositing and withdrawing funds. · Provide an accessible privacy policy. |
| To ensure gambling should be fair and open | · Tackling unacceptable marketing and advertising.
· Monitoring to avoid the implementation of unfair terms. · Implementing an effective complaints and dispute procedure process. · Offering accessible customer support services. |
| To protect children and vulnerable people | · Implementation of adequate age verification processes.
· Interacting with customers to be able to identify players who are experiencing or are at risk of developing problems with their gambling. · Implementation of adequate affordability checks. |
The table below outlines how online casinos safeguard their customers.
Online casinos have never been safer!
Reputable online casinos implement various safeguards to protect their players. And these safeguards are regularly reviewed by regulatory bodies so online casinos just keep getting safer. However, it is important to remember that you should always check that the online casino you’re playing at has a licence.
