The UK’s Gambling Commission is seeking reinforcement of ID and age checks for online gaming, according to reports this week.
The changes could potentially come in as soon as May 2019, bringing about a legally enforced national self-exclusion scheme.
The checks sought by the Commission mean that gamblers would have to document their name, address, date of birth and email address before being able to play online.
This, says the Commission, will plug loopholes in a self-exclusion scheme, Gamstop, that will force all gambling companies to block players who sign up. The Commission fears that without tougher ID processes, addicted players could simply open fresh accounts under different names or amend their own name.
Also planned is a regulation that will compel major operators to carry out checks on credit and debit card bets to ensure that they are not being used as a proxy by addicts.
The Commission said: “The changes will help operators better prevent harm or detect criminal activity because they have more information about their customers.”
Gamstop is reported to already have 60,000 signatures to its system and soon operators will have to block all of them to comply with their licence conditions. The Commission is also considering recommending a ban on the use of credit cards and a mandatory levy on the industry to pay for research and treatment of addicts.
