GamCare Advocates for Stricter Financial Risk Checks in Gambling Act Review

The proposed financial risk checks have taken center stage in the review of the Gambling Act. GamCare, a charity dedicated to supporting individuals affected by gambling harm in the UK, has voiced its support for these checks but is advocating for more stringent measures to protect players.

GamCare considers the introduction of financial risk checks a "positive stride towards player safeguarding." However, after consulting with its Lived Experience Community, the charity has raised concerns regarding the absence of a "single customer view" of all accounts held by a user. According to GamCare, the lack of such an approach may lead to players creating multiple accounts across different operators, potentially resulting in significant losses going unnoticed until it's too late.

Another point of contention for GamCare is the proposed threshold levels for financial risk checks. The charity argues that these levels still allow players to lose substantial amounts of money before any intervention is triggered. For instance, the suggested threshold for a financial risk assessment related to binge activity of more than £1,000 in a rolling 24 hours is deemed too significant by GamCare. They highlight the possibility that a player with multiple accounts could potentially lose £10,000 in a day before the system intervenes, which they find concerning.

To address these concerns, GamCare is calling for stronger checks to be implemented at the account opening stage. This approach, they argue, will allow for proactive intervention in cases of potential financial hardship for vulnerable players.

The issue of affordability checks has sparked considerable debate and controversy in the ongoing review of the Gambling Act. GamCare is the latest stakeholder to voice its opinion on this matter, joining a growing chorus of voices in the debate over how to best protect players.

This controversy took a turn in September when Commission executive director Tim Miller suggested that punter postcodes might influence the checks. However, in a recent speech, Commission chief Andrew Rhodes pushed back against what he called "misinformation" in the media regarding affordability checks.

This month, Labour party peer and chair of Premier Greyhound Racing, Lord Lipsey, also criticized the proposed checks for their potential impact on greyhound racing, adding another layer to the ongoing debate. GamCare emphasizes the need for further research and understanding of the implications of players turning to the illegal market, while advocating for enhanced player protection in the evolving landscape of gambling regulations.