What is the UK Gambling Commission?

The UK Gambling Commission is a non-departmental executive public body of the UK government. It is responsible for supervising gaming law and regulating gambling in Great Britain. Its responsibility covers lotteries, slot machines, casinos, bingo, betting, and arcades, as well as remote gambling.

Protecting the vulnerable and keeping crime out of gambling is the stated mission of the Gambling Commission. It provides licenses to operators. It also counsels the government on issues related to gambling. Furthermore, the Gambling Commission works with the police over alleged illegal gambling. In 2007, the Commission replaced Great Britain’s Gaming Board. It accepted responsibility for regulating the National Lottery in 2013.

Established under a 2005 law, the UK Gambling Commission came into complete power on the 1st of September, 2007. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission also covers some parts of the land-based casinos.

Forming licensing procedures for websites located in the United Kingdom that provided online gaming was the 1st movement of regulation made by the UK Gambling Commission. Then, these operators paid for taxes and licensing in exchange for permission to run their business within the borders of the United Kingdom.

Operators outside the United Kingdom can avoid the hassle and cost of licensing and still have access to the market of the country under the system first proposed in 2005. In addition to that, there was a process for white-listing operators offshore. This involved an offshore operator obtaining licensure via a gambling commission considered to be legitimate by the UK.

Advantages of UK Gambling Commission Licensing

Remote gambling operators with a United Kingdom gambling license provide players a lot of benefits over ones that illegally operate. The registration process screens out unfitting entities and people from the industry since it examines each of the licensed operators.

Gambling websites must hold the funds of a player in a distinct account from functioning cash. Also, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission checks policies and software for fairness. A person that has a disagreement with an online gambling operator can hold the website accountable. To ensure fairness, the Advertising Standards Authority can examine marketing procedures, and such websites that markets online casinos.

Offshore websites that operate without a license are illegally doing business. Eventually, this can end with criminal charges and confiscations for websites that don’t abide by the United Kingdom Online Gambling laws. In addition to that, these operators are evading taxes. Players have no way out against websites that do not pay players or get caught cheating.

Oftentimes, websites that aren’t licensed in the United Kingdom illegally operate in other places.

Filing a Complaint

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission has a process for players if they want to file a dispute. To read the full process, you can visit the official website of the UK Gambling Commission.

Players must ensure to write the complete issue in dispute each step of the way. This includes communication with the website via phone or email. In addition to that, players have to keep a log of this and any responses during the process of resolution.