UKGC Enforces Fairer Withdrawal Restriction Rules on Casinos
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission’s continuous push to improve the safety and fairness of the online casino industry will force operators to remove unfair cash withdrawal restrictions or face action.
The announcement comes on the back of action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has been investigating the online casino industry after recognizing the number of operators using unfair terms and conditions when it comes to withdrawing funds from their accounts.
Last week, the CMA ordered casino organisations Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play to remove these restrictive conditions. The stipulations of their terms and conditions previously stated that players must withdraw funds from their accounts over several instalments in an extended period, which the CMA stated, “could lead some to gamble again where they might otherwise make a withdrawal”.
The two companies were also directed to remove other terms that the CMA deemed ‘unfair’, including their ability to confiscate a player’s funds from their account, if they had not logged into their accounts for a set amount of time.
Progress Play was also forced to change its condition that allowed it to confiscate money if a player did not correctly confirm their identity within a certain amount of time. The UK Gambling Commission has officially backed the actions from the CMA, and further directs all other gambling firms to adhere to the Authority’s standards as of 31 October 2018.
We are committed to raising standards for consumers in the gambling sector to ensure they are getting a fair deal. We’ve already been working with the CMA to tackle unfair online gambling promotions, and today’s announcement will improve how customers are treated. – Paul Hope, Executive Director at the Gambling Commission
Hope continued, “In July, we announced new rules, which will make it quicker and easier for the Commission to take action for breaches of consumer law. That includes taking action where firms breach the principles laid out by the CMA. We support the action taken by the CMA and expect all online gambling businesses to take immediate action to update their practices in line with these, or face action by the Commission in the future.”
