UKGC to introduce amendments for licence conditions

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will this month make a number of amendments to its licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) in a move to help prevent gambling-related crime.

Due to come into effect from October 31, changes include the requirement for all licensees to report criminal investigations they are involved in and where the UKGC may be expected to question whether the licensee’s measures to prevent crime in gambling have failed.

The Commission is also set to introduce a consolidated anti-money laundering requirement, whereby licensees will need to assess and manage the risk of their business being used for money laundering and terrorist financing, with brands based in foreign jurisdictions also subject to this condition.

Operators must also have effective policies and procedures in place for handling both cash and cash equivalents, while licensees will have to ensure adverts do not appear on sites that provide unauthorised access to copyrighted content.

The UKGC also reiterated and widened the scope of an existing clause that states: “licensees should require their employees to report irregular/suspicious betting patterns, prohibit employees from placing bets using information relating to these patterns, and include in their customer terms and conditions that the customer must not be in breach of relevant sports governing body or other rules”.

In addition, the commission reminded operators that they must take adequate steps to mitigate risks related to payment methods, including digital currencies.

In a statement on its website, the UKGC said: “We think that the most effective regulatory approach is to focus on the outcomes we expect operators to achieve.

“In some areas we specify particular rules or processes, but where possible, we aim to allow licensees to take differing approaches to meet our requirements; this includes using rapidly developing technological tools and data analytics.

“We have powers to take action against licensed operators who fail to comply with the conditions of their licence or codes of practice.”

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