Compliance Updates

UKGC Issues Stricter Consumer Protection Rules for Lockdown

Published

6 years ago

May 13, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published more stringent rules for online operators for protecting customers during lock down. The new set of rules come after new evidence has surfaced that show some gamblers maybe at greater risk of harm during lockdown. The new guidelines deal with the need for affordability checks, prevention of reverse withdrawals and restrictions on bonus offers.

The Commission had collected data through the gambling industry and also through YouGov surveys. The data show that during lockdown gambling participation is down overall. This reflects the closure of land based venues and the cancellation of sporting events, with only a small number of people starting to gamble for the first time.

Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur said: “Operators must use the data they hold to protect their customers and now, more than ever, it’s vital that online operators really know their customers by monitoring how long they are playing for and understanding how financial uncertainty is impacting them and what they can afford to gamble with.  To ensure operators do that, we are strengthening our guidance and expect operators to take account of that to prevent bonus offers or inducements being offered to customers who are showing any sign of harm‘’

Work was already underway to address many of these issues but this means we will now accelerate this work due to the unique situation that many consumers will find themselves in during lockdown.

‘’We will continue to monitor and publish the data that we are collecting and we will take further measures if required. We are monitoring online operators closely and if we see irresponsible behaviour we will step in immediately, suspending licences if we need to.”

Minister for Sports, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said:”It is vital that people are protected from the threat of gambling related harm and I welcome these latest steps from the Gambling Commission.We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to take further action if required.”

The data also shows that in terms of time spent gambling, while overall session length has decreased, there has been an increase in the number of sessions that are played for over an hour.

The Commission has reviewed its current guidance in light of the risks that some players may be experiencing harm while in lockdown, and online operators must now take account of the Commission’s additional guidance, which makes clear they should:

Prevent reverse withdrawal options for customers until further notice
Cease to offer bonuses or promotions to all customers who are displaying indicators of harm
Interact with customers who have been playing for an hour in a single session of play
Review thresholds and triggers for new customers to reflect the operator’s lack of knowledge of that individual’s play and spend patterns
Conduct affordability assessments for individuals picked up by existing or new thresholds and triggers which indicate consumers experiencing harm – limiting or blocking further play until those checks have been concluded and supporting evidence obtained, and;
Implement processes that ensure the continual monitoring of their customer base – identifying patterns of play, spend or behaviours have changed in recent weeks.
Online operators will be expected to make changes to act on this guidance as soon as possible. The Commission will bring forward plans to consult on whether further targeted player protection measures are required on a permanent basis.

Compliance Updates

Armenia Launches Sweeping Gambling Payment Reform

Published

5 days ago

May 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

armenia-launches-sweeping-gambling-payment-reform

Armenia accelerated one of the most aggressive gambling regulatory reforms in Eurasia after approving new measures to control digital platforms, advertising, payments and financial supervision across the betting sector. The strategy promoted by the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan aims to strengthen legal gambling operations, increase fiscal oversight and tighten control over offshore operators in a market that has expanded dramatically over the past decade.

The reform is being driven by the Ministry of Finance of Armenia led in 2026 by Vahe Hovhannisyan, together with the State Revenue Committee headed by Rustam Badasyan. The main political architect behind the changes is MP Hayk Sargsyan from the ruling Civil Contract party.

The core of the reform focuses on payments and financial monitoring. Armenia plans to block transfers to unlicensed gambling operators, strengthen AML/KYC requirements and connect licensed platforms directly to state monitoring systems operating in real time. Armenia is advancing the software operator selection for its centralised gaming monitoring center, following the legal framework established in early 2024 to connect platforms directly to state systems in real time.

The 2026 update focuses on accelerating the public tender for the private operator, rather than the initial creation of the monitoring infrastructure, with the State Revenue Committee (SRC) leading the technological implementation. The fiscal framework is also becoming stricter. Since July 1, 2025, Armenia has applied a 10% turnover tax on gambling operations, while online gaming license costs doubled in April 2025 and are scheduled to continue increasing annually through 2028.

According to official figures cited by lawmakers, Armenia’s gambling turnover reached approximately AMD 6.3 trillion in 2023, equivalent to nearly €14 billion, while online casino deposits climbed to AMD 811 billion during 2024.

The government also tightened gambling advertising restrictions, limiting promotions to luxury hotels, border checkpoints and authorised operator channels. Armenian authorities argue that the new regulatory model is designed to protect legal operators, reinforce financial traceability and modernise state supervision over one of Eurasia’s fastest-growing digital industries.

The post Armenia Launches Sweeping Gambling Payment Reform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

UKGC Extends Phase 2 Deposit Limit Regulation Deadline to September 2026

Published

5 days ago

May 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

ukgc-extends-phase-2-deposit-limit-regulation-deadline-to-september-2026

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has officially extended the deadline for licensed remote operators to implement Phase 2 of the new deposit limit regulations.

In October 2025 the first phase of improvements to tools that help consumers to manage their gambling were introduced in the Remote Technical Standards (RTS) with the second phase due to be introduced on 30 June 2026.

Following stakeholder feedback, the Commission has extended the implementation period of the second phase to the end of September 2026 to allow for further operator technical development time.

From 30 September 2026 operators must:

• offer gross deposit limits to customers, and in some cases re-introduce gross deposit limits to the options available to customers

• name gross deposit limits as “deposit limits” – only this type of limit can be called a “deposit limit”

• offer gross deposit limits with at least equal prominence as other types of financial limit.

“We have also updated our consultation response document to clarify that to ensure consistency across the industry, from 30 September 2026 only gross deposit limits must be offered over fixed time frames. Rolling and fixed time frames can be used for other limit types,” the UKGC said.

“In preparation for implementation operators are asked to refer to the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards: Consultation Response and linked annex for the RTS 12 in full effective from 30 September 2026.

“All operators are advised that an annex initially published alongside the supplementary consultation response on 7 October 2025 contained small errors and was temporarily removed from our website. Any downloaded or offline versions of the Annex saved prior to 22 May 2026 should be disregarded.”

The post UKGC Extends Phase 2 Deposit Limit Regulation Deadline to September 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Coljuegos

Coljuegos Authorizes MrYoker as Colombia’s Newest iGaming Operator

Published

5 days ago

May 28, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

coljuegos-authorizes-mryoker-as-colombia’s-newest-igaming-operator

Coljuegos has officially authorized MrYoker as Colombia’s newest regulated online sports betting and casino operator.

It is estimated that, over the next 5 years, the new operator will obtain revenues close to $2.83 billion.

Through concession contract C2261 of 2026, Coljuegos authorized the entry into operation of the portal www.mryoker.co, a site where sports betting and online games can be carried out legally and monitored by the entity.

The online gaming sector is experiencing one of its best periods, thanks to the industry revitalization strategy implemented during the current administration. With MrYoker, there are now 15 authorized operators in Colombia.

The new portal belongs to the company Global Vitxo SAS, and will initially be able to offer live casino, virtual slot machines, and sports betting until 2031.

According to the projections presented, it is estimated that, for the next 5 years, this operator will contribute approximately $27.282 billion in monopoly revenues and administrative expenses, resources that will go directly to finance the subsidized health system.

It is worth mentioning that, during 2026, online betting portals have contributed $253.224 billion to Coljuegos in terms of exploitation rights, and it is expected that, by the end of the year, these transfers will exceed $450 billion.

The post Coljuegos Authorizes MrYoker as Colombia’s Newest iGaming Operator appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.