Gambling: Young People

Question

Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a priority for government and under the legislation in place is a core licensing objective for the Gambling Commission. Online and land-based operators offering gambling services to people in Great Britain must be licensed by the Commission and must have effective policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling. The Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) set out social responsibility requirements for gambling operators, including to protect children and vulnerable people.

The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), the Gambling Commission’s expert adviser, recently published a report on children, young people and gambling. In response, the Commission has set out further commitments to protect children and young people, including carrying out targeted compliance and enforcement activity to identify and tackle any weaknesses in the age verification processes. It recently concluded a review of the online gambling sector and announced that it will consult on requiring all consumers to be age-verified before they are able to deposit money or access free-to-play games.