The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told the betting sector in no uncertain terms that improvements need to be made due to concerns over promotions that could “trap” players into spending more time, and therefore more money, than intended at sites.Ladbrokes, William Hill, and PT Entertainment have all agreed to change the way their online promotions work after the CMA told the entire sector that it had to “raise its game”.The CMA is concerned that players may be forced to play for longer than intended before being allowed to withdraw their own money.
Changes across the sector
The three companies mentioned above may have been the first to announce that they will be implementing changes to ensure that players always have access to their own money and the ability to withdraw it, but the CMA has made it clear that the changes must be made across the entire industry, and any firm that fails to do so will face action from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Unfair restrictions
Speaking of the changes, George Lusty, project director at CMA, said:“Gambling always carries a risk, but players should never face unfair restrictions that prevent them from getting at their money.“We welcome the commitment from these leading firms to address the problems our investigation uncovered.“We now expect others to follow, and look forward to the Gambling Commission’s continued work to make sure all operators in this sector play fair with their customers’ money.”Executive director of the UKGC, Sarah Gardner, added:“We expect all Gambling Commission-licensed businesses to immediately review the promotions and sign-up deals they offer customers and take whatever steps they need to take, to the same timescales agreed by the three operators, to ensure they comply.”