The Alderney Gambling Control Commission has issued a response to the UK Gambling Commission's Gambling prevalence survey, stating that all Alderney licensees contribute to tackling problem gambling, including through regularly funding research in the area.
In a second statement following erroneous newspaper claims that despite being white-listed by the United Kingdom, Alderney, as an offshore operator, offers less protection to UK consumers than companies offering the same services from Britain, the AGCC's CEO, Andre Wilsenach discussed Alderney's contribution to tackling problem gambling:
“At the moment we are putting in funds at a rate in excess of GBP1m per annum [to fund research]. Our licensees are multinational, and are able to propose a charity or research vehicle relevant to their player base; but currently the majority of the money goes to UK’s GREaT Foundation.”
“This is merely one of the steps Alderney takes to deal with the issue of problem gambling. Strong player identification requirements, obligatory self-exclusion systems and staff and systems able to identify problem gambling characteristics in player behaviour are all basic requirements for an Alderney licensee.”
Discussing the UK's enforcement efforts in this area, Wilsenach added: “We think this rigorous focused approach has a lot of merit. The industry would be much stronger if like-minded regulators co-operated on common standards such as these to raise the level of protection for the young and vulnerable and to exclude those operators and jurisdictions that are not able to comply with such standards. We believe that the UK’s white-list approach is an excellent method of erecting such a fence.”
“Interpreting the UK’s gambling prevalence study data is a job for experts but it is interesting to note that in its own words the report identifies the change in problem gambling since the last report in 2007 as 'at the margins of statistical significance'.”
Wilsenach also noted that the report indicates little change in the volume of remote gambling by UK players.
Concluding, Wilsenach welcomed the report's publication, but noted that going forward, UK policy should focus on protecting UK players through tackling those operators located in jurisdictions with ineffective regulation.
In a second statement following erroneous newspaper claims that despite being white-listed by the United Kingdom, Alderney, as an offshore operator, offers less protection to UK consumers than companies offering the same services from Britain, the AGCC's CEO, Andre Wilsenach discussed Alderney's contribution to tackling problem gambling:
“At the moment we are putting in funds at a rate in excess of GBP1m per annum [to fund research]. Our licensees are multinational, and are able to propose a charity or research vehicle relevant to their player base; but currently the majority of the money goes to UK’s GREaT Foundation.”
“This is merely one of the steps Alderney takes to deal with the issue of problem gambling. Strong player identification requirements, obligatory self-exclusion systems and staff and systems able to identify problem gambling characteristics in player behaviour are all basic requirements for an Alderney licensee.”
Discussing the UK's enforcement efforts in this area, Wilsenach added: “We think this rigorous focused approach has a lot of merit. The industry would be much stronger if like-minded regulators co-operated on common standards such as these to raise the level of protection for the young and vulnerable and to exclude those operators and jurisdictions that are not able to comply with such standards. We believe that the UK’s white-list approach is an excellent method of erecting such a fence.”
“Interpreting the UK’s gambling prevalence study data is a job for experts but it is interesting to note that in its own words the report identifies the change in problem gambling since the last report in 2007 as 'at the margins of statistical significance'.”
Wilsenach also noted that the report indicates little change in the volume of remote gambling by UK players.
Concluding, Wilsenach welcomed the report's publication, but noted that going forward, UK policy should focus on protecting UK players through tackling those operators located in jurisdictions with ineffective regulation.
