Why Are Casino VIP Schemes Coming Under Such Scrutiny?

17th September 2021

For a number of years, online casinos have been using various methods to tempt people to use their services over anyone else’s. Although there is no denying that the popularity of online betting is on the increase, so is the number of online casino platforms in existence – so competition is fierce. Much like any other product or service, casinos will be keen to expand their market share as much as possible and as such will use various methods to help make sure that this is the case.

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Tempting in Customers

There are several ways that online casinos try to tempt customers to their website or app. The rules around advertising betting services in the UK are quite strict, so they do have to make sure that they abide by these rules even when advertising special offers and deals. One of the most popular ways to tempt in new customers is to offer a bonus for those that join a website for the first time. These ‘welcome bonuses’ do vary and can often change daily but they tend to give the player a free amount of money or a number of free games if they deposit below the minimum amount into their account. There are sometimes on-going offers for existing players particularly when there is a big game or sporting event taking place. 

 

Another way of keeping customers coming back to the online casino is to offer a VIP type scheme. This usually means that if someone is spending a certain amount at one online casino they can unlock exclusive games and sections of the website. Data collected by http://www.topratedcasinos.co.uk suggests VIP players (top 1% of users) generate 15-25% of revenue for operators, so it is clearly something that is popular amongst this section of casino players. 

 

UK Gambling Regulations

The UK has a set of gambling regulations put together by the Government and the UK Gambling Commission. These are always changing and being adapted depending on how people are gambling and what the betting consumer trends are. As technology changes and the way people use online gambling services adapt, so do the gambling regulations that are in place to protect everyone.

 

There are some changes coming into play in October 2021, all based around promoting responsible gambling and encouraging users to be in control of their own betting spend. Things like autoplay on online slot machines will be banned and so will machines calling a win if the prize amount is less than the stake that has been placed. The ability to play more than one online slot machine at a time will also be removed.

 

These regulations appear to be in place to ensure that the person using the online casino is fully aware of what they are spending and how they are using the online casinos. It is easy to get carried away if you’re not watching how many spins you have had so far – and that doesn’t do much to encourage a responsible approach to gambling.

 

What Does This Mean for VIP Schemes?

VIP schemes are most definitely something that has recently come under scrutiny; as they actually encourage people to spend more online. Although it is perfectly fine for online casinos to promote their services and it stands to reason that they are going to want their customers to spend money – there are some people that feel creating a feeling of missing out is something that casinos should avoid. 

Casinos should be doing affordability checks and making sure they look for patterns where someone might be gambling irresponsibly – big bets being placed on payday for example. The onus is on gambling operators to make sure that they ensure their users are safe and not taking part in any sort of gambling that is going to negatively affect their financial well-being. By creating exclusive games that can only be earned by spending a certain amount of money, many people feel that this goes against responsible gambling and instead encourages people to bet more – so that they too can be part of this exclusive new gang.

 

The UK Gambling Commission is consistently reviewing their regulations to ensure that they keep up with consumer trends and it is thought that these VIP schemes could soon be banned altogether. If they are not banned then they’ll certainly be much more restricted than they are.

 

What Does This Mean for the Future of Online Casinos?

The truth is that for some time now gaming operators have been encouraged to take responsibility for their users. Although it could be argued that users should take responsibility for their own spending and finances when it comes to betting for some people it just isn’t that easy. It is thought that in the future online casinos will have much stricter regulations on who they can let use their services and the type of betting that they allow. They already should be carrying out affordability checks and watching for patterns where it could show that someone betting is in financial hardship, but the future could see these rules get stricter. 

 

There is definitely a theme of responsible gambling in place with the UK Gambling Commission. In 2019 they put a limit of £2 in place for live betting terminals and it is likely that similar rules will be placed online – which could also hamper peoples chances of spending enough to even reach VIP scheme status. The age for buying a UK National Lottery Ticket has recently been increased and gaming operators have been reminded that they are responsible for ensuring that responsible gambling takes place on their platform.

 

There is no doubt that online betting won’t be going anywhere anytime soon but there are likely to be further restrictions. This isn’t designed to put an end to any gambling fun but instead to make sure that people can enjoy it long-term, rather than betting more than they can afford to lose and putting themselves in a tricky financial situation.