The Gambling White Paper: Innovations in RegTech and Opportunities for Customer Protection

The UK Government recently published its long-awaited white paper on the gambling industry, outlining a package of measures aimed at protecting vulnerable individuals and preventing harmful gambling practices.

We summarised the key takeaways in our article published on 24th April 2023. While the publication was delayed, this extra time allowed for further innovation in the regulatory technology (RegTech) space, enabling additional tools for protecting consumers to be created.

The white paper highlights the potential risks that the exponential growth in mobile and handheld gambling presents, but also acknowledges the progress made in RegTech over the past two years. Sophisticated identity and verification (ID&V) tools like SQR’s, Open Banking functionality and applications, screening improvements, and enhancements in behaviour biometrics have all emerged, providing new ways to protect players.

At SQR, we’re proud to be at the forefront of these developments. Our Digital ID solution is in the final stages of development and will support gaming operators in meeting these increased demands from the Gambling Commission, while also enabling low-friction logins and preventing multi-account creation. Our technology verifies an individual’s ID directly to their person, rather than their device, and we ensure that players only share personal data on a need-to-know basis.

The white paper also highlights the need for a balance between consumer freedoms and protection from harm, and operators can leverage technology to walk this tightrope. SQR’s Digital ID solution includes built-in self-exclusion limit features and works across both land-based gaming venues and online platforms, offering a seamless and secure experience for all players.

While the delay in the publication of the white paper may have been frustrating, it allowed for further innovation in RegTech and presented opportunities for even greater customer protection. At SQR, we’re excited to be an integral part of this progress, offering our Digital ID solution as a tool to support gaming operators in promoting a safe and responsible gambling environment.