The world of online slots is ever changing. With continuing technological advancements being made, online slots such as Starburst have to evolve with the times to stay relevant. As a result of the ever changing nature, the regulations of gambling have to be in a continuous state of evolution as well. This can sometimes make it difficult for players to understand all the gambling regulations of online slots. Below, you will find gambling regulations and restrictions explained to you in a clear and concise manner.
The Gambling Act 2005
Firstly, we should begin with perhaps an important piece of legislation, the Gambling Act 2005. This applies to England, Wales and Scotland, it’s main aim is to regulate and control gambling.
The UK Gambling Commission
This is the main governing body which enforces the restrictions and regulations set by the Gambling Act 2005. They hold a considerable amount of power over operators. If operators are not playing by the rules the UK Gambling Commission has the power to completely revoke their licensees. The UK Gambling Commission can also give out gambling licenses. They oversee every type of gambling, from bingo all the way to the National Lottery.
Modern Rules
New rules are often being proposed to combat fraudulent activity such as money laundering within gambling. With online slots these rules need to be effective and safe, to try and limit the possibility of players getting their private information stolen by hackers. That is why online slots and casinos make sure that customers can verify their identity and prove their age, in the UK when you turn sixteen years old you can purchase a scratch card but the age for gambling is eighteen years old. This two year difference provides a little confusion for some people. Due to the ease of which online slots can be played on mobile devices, players now have to confirm their age to stop underage gambling.
Players also have to provide a lot of personal details when signing up to join an online casino. Information such as home address, telephone number and credit card number will all have to be provided when signing up online. This is because the Gambling Commision enforces something called KYC, also known as Know Your Customers. This means that all online casinos have to be able to identify all of their customers. The reason this is so heavily enforced is because of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money laundering Regulations 2017. Both of these laws were passed in an effort to fight money laundering schemes and corruption.
Conclusion
While all this seems very restricting for the operators, for players there is a large amount of freedom given with online slots. As a player’s winnings are not taxed at all unless you are a professional gambler, it’s easy to see why online slots are so popular in the UK. As long as you can prove that you are of the correct age and are not prone to reckless or irresponsible gambling, you will be allowed to play any online slot available.
