There has been a significant increase in online betting sites in the United Kingdom. Some of
those sites adhere to set rules governing gambling. Some are illegitimate and have no
standards that meet the set required minimums.
This is What Happened?
Statistically, PWC reports that a tenth of every online gambling search by punters landed on illegal sites, otherwise known as the black market sites. Cumulatively, those figures translate to almost 27 million visits to those illegal sites within a year. This unfolds to over £1.4 billion in losses.
The above figures denote a sharp upsurge in the numbers of illicit sites since the last review of
online gambling sites. This means that the dangers posed to punters from such sites keep
ballooning every time they log in to the sites.
The black market sites do not abide by any or all of the required rules for online betting sites.
They don’t have the required clearance certificates, neither do they have any proper
identification documents. Sites like these can easily defraud players.
They are not firm on the age restriction policies for betting. And they also lead to reduced
government revenue, as the regulatory bodies cannot track their returns.
The United Kingdom Government has since issued a black market warning on such sites terming them as ticking bombs.
What Are The Dangers Of Using These Sites?
Because of the minimal concern on age limits, the underage is being exposed to betting. The exposure, upon a critical look, may lead to an increase in crime rates.
Let’s take an example: A teenage or school-age kid who has no income-generating activity willresort to mugging to get the betting money.
Again, with no regulatory body, there is no players’ protection. For instance, gamblers have no table limits and this may see them bet and lose all their money. They can use a bet tracker to track all their bets and gambling options.
Citizens may also end up falling into the jaws of con artists who pose as gambling sites. Here, they get duped of all their money in the name of losing games.
Subsequently, the government suffers losses. Black market betting sites do not abide by the country’s tax policies.
On the flip side, however, some officials have cited the figures to be a wake-up call to the
Betting and gambling commission. In their school of thought, these officials think the regulatory commission has continuously underperformed in ensuring safe betting in the country.
The body has a task to regulate the existing rules to suit what gamblers need. This change will ensure fewer people visit the unregulated sites, since the sites lure them with the better gambling terms they possess. Some measures to take include betting ID verification, age limit checks, and having minimum deposit slots in place.
In conclusion
The government is advocating for responsible betting despite the mushrooming illicit sites. The United Kingdom BGC should move with the speed to adjust the regular sites to meet gamblers’ desires.
