BGC & UKGC Unveils New Standards For VIP Rewards And Online Games

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) are rolling out a new set of codes that should help the industry better address problems of player safety and gambling addiction.

This new code of conduct covers a wide variety of features and includes how games perform and how gambling operators reward their players. All of these changes will be implemented by the end of September.

Casino games will now have to have a minimum cycle speed of 2.5 seconds. That seems short but it can be pretty long in an industry where players can go to turbo mode and have several spins done in the same amount of time. That can potentially save players a lot of money as they will now have reduced spins due to the increase in game time.

Another change that will curb the number of games that players can wager on is the removal of the multi-slot play feature. In the past, players could wager on multiple games at the same time and often resulted in them losing their money faster.  Additionally, operators will need to conduct more mandatory checks on players’ activities. This is to ensure that signs of problem gambling are detected early and resolved quickly.

Changes In VIP Rewards

Besides game changes, VIP rewards were also overhauled. In marketing terms, these VIP rewards are used to encourage players to play more. This is exactly what the UKGC is hoping to curb. There have been many risky VIP practices implemented in recent years that have made the issue of problem gambling worse. This is where the changes come in.

For one, anyone who is under the age of 25 cannot get VIP rewards, while additional spending checks are to be put into place. Due diligence and research is to be increased while more accountability is laid on senior management in charge of VIP operations.  

Besides the above changes, VIP programs are now more rigorous. Players who want to be part of one need to go through a strict screening process that follows Know Your Customer (KYC) rules. Additionally, they will receive on going screenings as they play.

UK Operators also need to have clear and transparent practices on how they plan to prevent potential gambling-related harm and must warn customers that they are in danger of gambling harm. There will also need to be an official executive in charge of the VIP operations to ensure better accountability at all times.