UK Betting Rules, Major Changes, Dead Hopes

UK betting rules are about to face massive but – according to critics – useless changes. Senet Group leader, Ron Finley announced his resignation from his position as the CEO of the group. After he completed 1, 5 years at the self-regulatory monitoring authority, he considers there is someone else who should take these further steps.

Based on the predictions made by campaigners and also gamblers, the new UK betting rules won’t work properly. The program would allow the stuff at betting shops to identify problem gamblers which is said to be ineffective.

The Gambling Commission introduced some changes back in 2015 after they agreed on strengthening social responsibility. The main changes of UK betting rules have two point of views.

From bookmakers’ side starting from this week conducting risk assessment is a must. They have to find a way how to decrease crime rate and the effect of that on vulnerable people. Practically, they will have to share information about problem gamblers who have “self-excluded” themselves from betting shops.

From gamblers’ side, they have to fill in only one form, in order to be blocked from all the betting operators of the particular area.

New UK Betting Rules and the Opposing Points

The new regulatory system has been criticized by gamblers who consider the new program inefficient. As an excessive gambler shared his opinion on a report published on The Guardian, strengthening the system is not useful since it allows to take bets eventually. It happened to him as well, despite his diagnosed pathological gambling disorder.

According to his experiences, self-exclusion from a shop just does not work, since the system relies on the shop assistants who easily recognize the excluded person. No matter how far a gambler goes in terms of self-excluding, at the end when he has a meltdown he will be allowed to take bets.

It also seems the new UK betting rules are not preventive enough. As an investigative BBC report pointed out, 8 of 10 bookmakers did not keep the journalist away from gambling. So despite filling the paper based clarification of self exclusion regarding all betting shops, people can still bet.

As the current spokesman of the Fairer Gambling campaign stretched the system is dysfunctional and paper based so nothing will improve. He added, everything is based on the shop assistants and memorizing those who clarified their intention about self-excluding.

Giving a possible solution, the spokesman added, it’s time to realize that the majority of self-exclusions are related to FOBTs. It indicates reducing the maximum bet from $100 a spin could be a real help in problem gambling.