New Regulations Offer Online Gamblers More Freedom

This is probably not how the UK Gambling Commission would have imagined the headlines around their newly introduced regulations would be written, but that’s exactly what the implications are, or at least one of the implications. The Gambling Commission is only doing its job, which is to create and enforce regulations in the gambling industry which ultimately serve to protect the customer.

While gambling is meant to be a harmless pastime, albeit one which can result in some mega wealth accumulating almost instantly, the truth is it can indeed aid addictive behaviour — addictive behaviour which can be very crippling financially in this particular instance.

The New Rules

Fixed-odds betting games came into focus as the targeted area for the new rules, with some mega changes effected. Under the new rules, instead of £100, £2 is now the maximum stake which can be played. That is a major cut, any which way you look at it and since this would likely be more enforceable in physical, brick-and-mortar casinos, it would be somewhat of an effort in vain to try and do the same with online casinos. More on that in a bit.

Some extra measures are under consideration by the commission, which are definitely commendable considering they fall in line with the ultimate goal of making the entire gambling industry safer for the consumer. These include the introduction of new procedures for age-checking and identity verification, aimed at guarding against children getting exposed to gambling along with gamblers who have gone ahead with the identified need to self-exclude.

The online space comes into view as well, as a possible target for the introduction of new rules, with the commission considering a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling online. Additionally, an improvement in the way operators facilitate interactions with customers is on the cards — with the aim of reducing the identified possibility of customers experiencing any harm related to gambling.

They definitely have their work cut out for them, but any such actions which seek to protect the consumer should be commended.

The Implications of the New Rules

Now, going back to the discussion around how these regulations affect the exponentially growing online gambling world, it’s basically just a matter of looking at it from the point of view of what an online casino platform offers over physically visiting a traditional, brick-and-mortar gambling establishment.

While visiting a physical casino once in a while definitely makes for a great night out, what you’ll often find is that you spend more money on many other dynamics associated with this night out — such as in-house dining (which never comes cheap), drinks (which might contribute to your impaired judgement), etc.  More serious gamblers who have mastered full control over elements such as sticking to a set budget as part of their efforts to practise responsible gambling want more freedom than that.

That’s exactly what the online gambling space offers. Pro and semi-pro gamblers want to be able to enjoy the option of putting down a stake of £100, for example — if that forms part of taking a calculated, well-thought-out risk as part of their expert betting strategy.

So these new regulations, while well-meaning, perhaps limit the freedom you’d enjoy if you were playing a specific type of game at a physical casino, while that same freedom remains intact in the online gambling space.

However, there is a meeting point between the two gambling worlds — which seem to be drifting further and further apart — in the form of live casinos. If you take into account all the features offered by any best live casino online, what becomes apparent is that betting over such a platform allows you to enjoy the live gambling experience as if you were indeed visiting a physical casino — and also the added freedom which comes with still being in the comfort of your own home.

You have more special promotional offers to take advantage of in addition to being able to by-pass what appear to be increasingly ridiculous caps on crucial aspects such as maximum bets — although these were intended for fixed-odds games — by the Gambling Commission. As any pro gambler will tell you, that is where the big money is made if you have the right strategy and if you’re responsible with your betting allocation.