Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people

The Commission should: a) build on its high-level definition of vulnerability to articulate clearly how it interprets which consumers may be vulnerable under what circumstances, and how its work is intended to address this. To achieve this, it could work with and learn from the experiences of other regulators that have articulated their interpretations of vulnerable consumers including, for example, how they consider concepts such as temporary vulnerability (such as due to job loss or bereavement);

b) do more to translate its high-level intended consumer outcomes into what they mean in practical terms, to help determine progress in achieving these objectives. The Commission should also continue to develop how it measures its performance and impact, including in protecting demographic groups that are particularly at risk of harm, and assessing the timeliness of its interventions and the effectiveness of industry-led initiatives to protect consumers;

c) enhance its analytical capability to better identify consumer harm and make greater use of the intelligence it has available. For example, it could develop a more systematic and detailed approach to recording and analysing information from consumers who make contact. The Commission should also consider how it can work with other organisations such as local licensing authorities and dispute resolution providers to plug gaps in its current intelligence base; and

d) develop a more strategic approach to influencing gambling operators to raise standards in protecting consumers. This could include, for example, considering ways to place financial or reputational incentives on operators to go further in making gambling safer for consumers, including by learning from other regulators.

The Commission and DCMS should: e) develop a deeper understanding of the causes and impacts of gambling?related harm. This should include the Commission’s own research programme as well its engagement with the wider research community. It could include, in particular, analysis of how social and technological developments affect people’s gambling and the impact this is having in practice, particularly to at-risk groups;

f) review whether the arrangements for consumers when things go wrong are working effectively. This should include consideration of whether simplifying dispute resolution services would make it easier and more consistent for consumers to access them, and whether it would also provide benefits for the Commission by simplifying the insight and intelligence it gathers and receives on consumer problems; and

g) review the suitability of the current licence fee model, and what it means for the regulatory approach, to address the challenges identified in this report and ensure that gambling regulation can adapt to changing risks to consumers. This includes the ability to quickly respond to new areas of consumer harm and, where necessary, increasing capability and capacity to address this. It would also be an opportunity to consider ways licence fees could be used to create financial incentives on operators to raise standards.