CMA to investigate online gambling in UK

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into whether online gambling sites are treating their customers fairly. This has been done following the concerns raised by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

The UK’s competition watchdog CMA announced in its statement that together with UKGC they are sharing concerns related to “potential breaches of consumer law, including misleading promotions and unfair terms, being used by firms to block players’ payouts.” The joint programme is created to ensure fair and transparent terms of gambling.

Nisha Arora, CMA senior director for consumer enforcement commented: “We’re worried players are losing out because gambling sites are making it too difficult for them to understand the terms on which they’re playing, and may not be giving them a fair deal; we are now investigating to see whether firms are breaking the law”.

“Gambling inevitably involves taking a risk, but it shouldn’t be a con,” Nisha Arora added.

Sarah Harrison, chief executive of the UKGC said the commission is having concerns that many terms and conditions in gambling industry “appear to bamboozle rather than help the customer make informed choices”.

“Gambling, by its very nature, is always going to involve risk but customers must have faith that if they win, they will not end up feeling that the deck is stacked against them because of an obscure condition that they did not properly understand,” explained Harrison.

The CMA says it will require evidence from gambling firms and will then establish whether further enforcement actions are in need. It is also asking UK punters to provide further details if any issues were faced.