In what represents a significant step towards safeguarding the integrity of the gambling industry, the UK Gambling Commission has announced the initiation of a discreet reporting mechanism aimed at combatting illicit activities and promoting compliance with gambling regulations. This confidential service allows individuals to notify the Commission of a broad spectrum of issues, covering behaviors from match-fixing and betting irregularities, to concerns surrounding money laundering and the operation of unlicensed or criminal gambling activities.
This innovative channel, labeled by the Commission as “Tell us something in confidence,” provides a secure means by which informants can submit information anonymously if they so choose, without the fear of exposure. Should whistleblowers opt to do so, they have the flexibility to submit supplementary materials such as photographs and documents which may reinforce the credibility of their report. The system also facilitates the provision of additional information through either email or postal services.
With user discretion being paramount, the service gives individuals the option to leave their contact details should they be open to follow-up communication regarding their case. However, it is important to note that consumer complaints about gambling businesses are not the primary focus of this new service. The Commission encourages those sorts of grievances to be addressed through the established complaint procedure already in place.
In tandem with the launch of this online platform, the Gambling Commission reassures the public that the existing confidential telephone service designed to report criminal or suspicious activities will persist in full operation.
“The Tell us something in confidence service can be used to provide any information that people believe relates to criminal activity under the Gambling Act 2005 or any other information that people may think could be useful to the Commission from a regulatory perspective,” a representative of the Commission elaborated.
In the background of this development, the Commission shared the latest statistics reflecting the state of Britain’s gambling market, which spans the period from April 2022 to March 2023. These figures denote a consistent rise in land-based gambling activities. The Gross Gambling Yield (GGY), which constitutes the total earnings of both remote and land-based licensed gambling operators, witnessed a year-on-year growth of 6.8%, amounting to £15.10 billion. This sum also signifies an increase of 6.6% when compared to the preceding pre-lockdown era ending in March 2020.
When isolating the statistics to account for non-lottery-related gambling activities, the GGY for this sector alone experienced even higher growth—rising 9.3% when contrasted with the 2021-22 period and 7.6% in comparison with the 2019-20 timeframe.
Adding another layer of context to the industry’s status, the charity organization GambleAware released its annual data pertaining to the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS). The numbers point to a particular concern with online slot games, as these have accounted for over a third of all interactions with support services in 2022-23. During this period, the NGTS was contacted by 6,645 individuals, with 85% (5,621 people) receiving treatment for gambling-related harm, while the remainder were supported to cope with the repercussions of another person’s gambling habits.
Among the treatment seekers, the use of online slots was prevalent, amounting to 37.9%. This was followed by internet sports betting at 15.6% and fixed-odds betting terminals within bookmaker shops at 12.8%. Both sports betting and gaming machines at bookmaker premises each represented 10.1% of the contacts.
The proactive measures set forth by the Gambling Commission, as evidenced by the introduction of the confidential reporting service, alongside the documented industry trends, underscore the ongoing efforts to foster a responsible and transparent gambling environment within the U.K.
