Every online casino shouts about its offers, but how do you know if you can trust them? I test them, so you know where's worth playing & how to get genuine value.
- Interim Gambling Commission CEO Sarah Gardner told trade title GGB that there should be a more creative approach to enforcing the rules.
- Gardner pointed to the new Financial Risk Assessments as proof, saying the data-led checks spare most players the paperwork she calls "too intrusive for what's meant to be a leisure activity".
- She admitted "regulation can be a pretty thankless task".
The regulator of UK casino sites should "not always reach for the blunt instrument" when enforcing its own rules, its boss has insisted.
Sarah Gardner, who has been interim boss of the Gambling Commission since Andrew Rhodes quit the role back in February, believes rules and regulations are about striking a balance.
Her job, she says, is "enabling people to enjoy what they enjoy doing in their leisure time" while catching the ones who need protecting.
Gardner doesn't dodge the criticism either, admitting "regulation can be a pretty thankless task" that never pleases everyone.
My View
One half always says a call "doesn't go far enough," she jokes, while the other insists it's "too far."
Her clearest example of getting that balance right is the Commission's new Financial Risk Assessments, which target only the biggest spenders first.
The staged rollout leans on data instead of demanding "a much larger sample of consumers" for paperwork she brands "too intrusive for what's meant to be a leisure activity."
Her comments land amid a reshuffle at the top, with policy chief Tim Miller also on his way out after a decade in the job.
OLBG's Casino Content Manager David Coleman believes Gardner's honesty here is rare for a regulator.
He said: "Most watchdogs would never admit that pleasing nobody is actually a sign they're doing their job properly.
"That's worth knowing, because it explains why something like the Financial Risk Assessments looks the way it does.
"It's not built to catch everyone out, it's built to leave most players alone and go after the small number who genuinely need help."
Another hot topic among casino players at the minute is casino affordability checks.
To help you understand them more, I've put together this guide on the best UK casinos for handling affordability checks.
For OLBG members, the message is that the Commission wants a scalpel, not a sledgehammer, and Gardner is betting her legacy on getting that balance right.
