UKGC's new rules: operators will have to verify age and identity before allowing gambling

If an operator has not yet verified the name, address and date of birth of any customer, they will need to have completed verification before allowing that customer to gamble.

2019-05-03

United Kingdom

Reading time 1:37 min

The changes to license conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) will affect remote betting and gaming operators, and some remote lotteries. Age verification won't need to be completed by licensees at the point a new customer account is opened and registered. Operators cannot confiscate a customer’s funds on the basis that they have not provided ID in time for Tuesday 7 May.

The UK Gambling Commission announced today new rules to come in on Tuesday 7 May surrounding age and identity verification procedures for online operators. These measures follow an open consultation and aim to ensure operators verify customers’ age and identity details “quickly and robustly”. The changes to license conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) will affect remote betting and gaming operators, and some remote lotteries.

The new rules include three main topics: a new license condition 17 which sets out minimum requirements for identity verification; changes to Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.11 for age verification for remote betting and gaming; and changes to Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.2.13 for age verification for some remote lotteries. The UKGC’s consultation responses document provides a full explanation of the background and the nature of these LCCP changes.

All affected operators are expected to comply with the new LCCP. This means that from Tuesday 7 May, if an operator has not yet verified the name, address and date of birth of any customer, they will need to have completed verification before allowing that customer to gamble. Operators will therefore need to prevent any unverified customer from gambling until they have gone through the verification process. However, age verification would not necessarily need to be completed by licensees at the point a new customer account is opened and registered.

The UKGC said in a statement that operators should also remember that they cannot confiscate a customer’s funds on the basis that they have not provided ID in time for Tuesday 7 May. Last year the Competitions and Markets Authority’s action in the remote sector established that consumers are legally entitled to money which they have deposited in their account, to winnings made with money they have deposited and gambled, and winnings made from a bonus where the relevant conditions have been met, subject to anti-money laundering -AML- or other regulatory requirements.