New age verification rules come into force for online gambling

New age and identity verification rules aimed at preventing under-age gambling and making online gambling fairer for customers come into force on Tuesday.

Under the new regime any operator who has not yet confirmed the name, address and date of birth of a customer will need to have completed verification before allowing that customer to gamble.

Online operators have previously been allowed 72 hours to carry out age verification checks.

The Gambling Commission also warned the industry it cannot confiscate a customer’s funds on the basis that they have not provided ID in time.

The changes are likely to make it more difficult for operators to sign up new customers while also opening them up to the prospect of punishments such as fines and licence reviews should the rules be broken.

The new regime was announced by the Gambling Commission in February, with culture secretary Jeremy Wright describing the changes as "helping to shut down a possible gateway to gambling-related harm".

Remote Gambling Association chief executive Wes Himes said: ''The new identity verification rules will create greater assurance for the customers who frequent our operators and go further in protecting against underage access to sites.

"We would also call upon the government and Gambling Commission to accelerate work in areas like digital identity so the weaknesses in the current system do not push customers to unregulated offerings."

However, an industry source who did not wish to be named said "all operators would have appreciated a more realistic timescale for such a significant exercise".

Industry analyst Warwick Bartlett, chief executive of the Global Betting & Gaming Consultancy, said the new rules were "fair and reasonable" but added that teething troubles would be inevitable and called on the Gambling Commission to "provide some latitude".

"The new regulation while desired and reasonable will come at a cost of implementation and new account sign ups could be slower," Bartlett said.

"A customer seeing a price offered on TV who does not have an account will not be able to quickly take advantage, the account activation process is likely to be slower. This will reduce the return on advertising, which is one of the operators' biggest expenses, and crucial to future growth."

He added: "With all of these things the commission and operators should ask what is reasonable, and have the operators used their best endeavours to conform to the rules. With any new process there will be problems, I hope the commission will provide some latitude until operators' systems are fully engaged."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app