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Great Britain: No Betting Limit After All

Gambling in Great Britain is currently undergoing reform. The original plan was to introduce a betting limit. After all, such a limit already exists in most other EU countries. But as it looks at the moment, the UKGC does not want to plan a betting limit after all. We would like to explain why and what measures are planned instead.

British Players Are Against a Betting Limit

The gambling regulator has conducted a small study and surveyed 13,000 British players. 

These seem to be against a betting limit so that this is not planned for the time being. 

However, it was published that the betting limit is not completely off the table. 

It is still being considered whether there should be an upper limit. 

It may be some time before that happens. 

In addition, the survey showed that most players are against a credit check. 

Whether this will also therefore not be set, has not yet been published.

At the moment, it can still be expected that a game round at a slot machine may cost a maximum of two pounds. 

Furthermore, the pauses between the individual rounds are to be extended. 

It could also happen that the games will generally be slower. 

These are all points that the UKGC is still discussing. 

A decision must be made by October, as the revised law will then come into force.

Instead of credit checks and a general betting limit, the UKGC currently has another idea.

However, this one will require the cooperation of the gambling operators. 

The near future will show whether this can succeed or not. 

For example, it should be prevented that the players can suffer too great a loss. 

In this context, it is generally intended to prevent players from incurring losses over a longer period of time. 

However, all this can only succeed if customers are better and more stringently controlled and checked.

Animal Welfare in Horse Racing to be Strengthened

The revision of the gambling law does not only refer to online casinos and gambling halls. 

In Great Britain, sports betting is very popular and for this reason, sports betting also comes into the focus of the reform. 

There is one point that the regulator would like to address, and that is to strengthen animal welfare. 

First and foremost, this concerns horse and dog racing. 

The fact that animal welfare is improving in these two areas has already been demanded by the Labor Party since 2019.

In addition, in the sports betting sector, jersey sponsorship may be completely banned with immediate effect. 

It could also be that advertising and sponsorship will be banned in principle. 

How strongly in the future sponsorship or advertising will be interfered with, has not yet been revealed. 

For the professional clubs, however, this would mean that their income will be drastically reduced. 

Why the UKGC suddenly reacts so severely is due to a very special reason: Football Index.

UKGC Accused of Misconduct over Football Index

Football Index’s insolvency has implications for the UKGC. 

The regulator is accused of not scrutinizing the company’s plans enough. 

Had they done so, the company should not have been granted a gambling license in the first place. 

At least that is the argument of the APPG – this is a group of MPs specializing in gambling.

Football Index had tried to attract new customers even before insolvency. 

These had been necessary to be able to pay the promised dividends to the existing customers. But that was not enough. 

Football Index is accused of not being a pure gambling company. 

Every member could bet there on a club as well as on the platform. 

Thus, it was not a pure betting company.

Members affected by insolvency can partly rejoice. 

According to a ruling, the Football Index umbrella organization must pay out over 4 million pounds to the players. 

How the amount is distributed is not publicly announced.

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