UK Gambling Commission Review

History of the UKGC

The UKGC was created by the Gambling Act of 2005 and took up its full powers two years later, replacing the Gaming Board for Great Britain. It is funded by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport and has a wide range of responsibilities including the regulation of arcades, bingo, casinos, slots machine and lotteries.

Its remit was significantly extended in 2014. Prior to this date, it had not been responsible for monitoring and regulating online betting based outside the UK, but instead produced a white list of jurisdictions that were considered reputable.

That changed with the 2014 Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act which saw the UKGC become a major player in the online casino regulating industry. The 2014 Act allowed the UK government to tax online gambling operators for any activity generated by players based in the UK. Which meant that the UKGC were given the task of deciding which operators would be allowed to advertise gambling to UK players and issuing licences. The UKGC also took on the task of ensuring that licensed operators adhered to the stringent standards of the UKGC license.

Complaints

As you can see, the UK Gambling Commission lays down some extremely stringent requirements for any operator hoping to gain the much-desired UK Gambling Commission licence. As a result, licenses tend to be issued only to the online casino industry's major players. This in itself helps to keep player complaints and disputes to a minimum, though it does not eliminate them completely.

Unlike some other European jurisdictions, the UK Gambling Commission does not deal with player complaints itself. Instead, it passes them on to an outsourced provider from a list of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) companies. This is significant for online players as different online operators with UK Gambling Commission licenses can use different ADR services so the way that complaints are dealt with can vary from case to case.

Some players who have used ADR services after complaining about an operator to the UK Gambling Commission have found that the quality of their treatment fell short. Though in theory all ADR companies have to adhere to the same standards. This can effectively mean that the value of using an online casino with a UK license is not the same for all players. Depending on which casino they opt for. That said, the variance in dispute resolution quality does not ultimately undermine the advantage of choosing a UK Gambling Commission approved site.

Summary

As the online casino gaming market in New Zealand has grown, there have been one or two unscrupulous operators who have attempted to take advantage of players' enthusiasm for remote gambling. As a result, players have become more adept at spotting which sites are reputable and which are not. And checking for the site's license details is one quick and easy way to reassure yourself that the site is fair.

Of all the various jurisdictions, the UK is one of the most stringent and if an online casino operator has been able to meet its rigorous standards, then you can be assured that it is a legitimate operation. For that reason, the UK Gambling Commission license remains the gold standard for casino and gambling companies operating in New Zealand and around the world. But mind, to operate in NZ the casino can't use its UKGC license but needs to have a international license like Malta or Gibraltar.

Frequently Asked Questions About the UK Gambling Commission