With the arrival of online gambling, the industry as a whole has boomed. It’s worth saying that gambling was performing well financially wise, but with online casinos and betting now available, the number of users has surged. However, with the increase in user base and overall interest, the regulatory bodies have tightened their grip on this industry.
Here we will go over some of those notable changes that took place recently, and also see some statistics in the gambling industry within the UK. A lot of these changes are not noticeable by players, as the games pretty much function the same, but they should definitely be aware of them.
Changes that Occurred in 2020
Land-based casinos always had a strange allure over tourists all over the world, as they guarantee them having a good time. Even though there are a lot of fun facts about casinos, the online environment is admittedly different. It’s not as flashy as a real thing, but it can be just as entertaining and appealing. Considering the wide accessibility and online anonymity, regulating online casinos can be tricky. Which is why the policies are constantly evolving and adapting to the new situation.
One of the most notable growth of the online player base in the UK is a result of COVID-19 outbreak, as more people were spending time home. This can often translate to boredom, which usually means spending more time playing online. In other words, the risk of irresponsible gaming was heightened due to the lockdown. So, some additional measures were implemented to check on those users and to ensure they won’t endanger their finances.
Another layer of protection against irresponsible gambling was the ban of credit cards. In April of 2020, gambling platforms stopped accepting credit card payment, as it was too convenient a way of funding the account. E-wallets connected to the cards were still accepted, so long as they ensure their users are not using the funds for gambling.
Player identification is another measure that online casinos have to comply with, as age restrictions are still active even on the world wide web. So, each profile needs to be verified, and any duplicate account needs to be shut down.
Upcoming Changes
In addition to the applied changes, there are new measures on the horizon. All of the casinos on this list https://casinosters.com/fast-payout-casino/, as well as those less notable, will have to adjust their age restrictions. This is luckily just a minor change and it concerns lottery tickets. The individuals who are under 18 years can not purchase lottery tickets (the previous age restriction was 16 years of age). This change will become active in October 2021. Additionally, advertising rules will be more strict, and anything that normalizes gambling for youth, like sports sponsorship, for example, will not be allowed.
Down the line, we might expect more strict licensing protocol as well as the source of funds check-ups. Slots are widely popular and the most played games in both online and land-based casinos, so maximum betting on slots might take a hit as well, and be reduced.
Most Common Bets and Games
Between 2017 and 2018 UK citizens spent over 14 billion pounds on betting or gambling, but this includes all forms of luck-based games. Some of the most popular gambling types are scratch cards, national lottery, slots, and sports betting. According to statistics, males gamble more compared to females, but the difference is not too great. When you take into consideration that these numbers ended up being higher during the pandemic, the above-mentioned changes are more or less justified. We must also remember that there is an upcoming period of uncertainty as to the world recovers from the pandemic, so the government is acting in the best interest of citizens in this case.
Conclusion
These were some of the most notable changes that occurred recently and some potential changes that we will likely encounter in the future. As you can see they are mainly addressing the issue of irresponsible gambling, and enforcing the age restriction in the online environment. Anyone who just plays casually will hardly notice any difference.
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