The First List of Dispute Solvers Published by the UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission has been very busy in the past several months. The British authority is constantly revising licence conditions as well as codes of practises and releases various reports connected to the gambling industry in the country. The latest task completed by the Commission is the first list of Alternate Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes companies; the list was published very recently and includes some familiar organisations.

Among the nine approved ADR entities those well informed about the online gambling industry will recognise eCOGRA. This organisation is an independent auditor that certifies safe and fair online gambling operators. Additionally, it acts as an independent player protection body and now it is approved by the Gambling Commission as well. eCOGRA has been working in the online gambling industry since 2003 and it is a London based organisation.

Some other organisations and independent dispute solvers that were approved by the Commission are IBAS, Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution and Joel Goldman.
However, not all of the entities have applied for all sectors. Therefore, certain dispute solvers, such as eCOGRA, are licensed only to remote gambling sector, whereas others are focused on lotteries or betting only. The previously mentioned Joel Goldman is the only ADR that is approved to act as a dispute solver in all sectors.

The UK Gambling Commission is Still Accepting Applications

Any organisations or individuals that want to be approved by the UK Gambling Commission and be included on the list can still join the application process. The authority pointed out that applications are still accepted and all applicants suitable for approval will have their name added as an ADR entity.

The UK Gambling Commission has provided all the necessary information ADR applicants need to know prior to starting the application process. For example, all applicants are required to provide name, contact details and web address. In addition, they have to state its structure and funding, procedural rules, fees for trades, types of dispute covered and etc.

As highlighted by the British gaming authority, the three key requirements are the entity to maintain an up to date website, to provide an ADR procedure by paper or mail and make sure that its ADR procedure is easily accessible.

Operators Must Be Compliant with the ADR Regulations by October

According to the latest regulations, UK gambling operators and ADR entities are required to be fully compliant with the ADR Regulations by 1st of October, 2015. Furthermore, licensed operators must use at least one of the approved dispute solvers, which are included on the list, by the end of August.

This means that online casinos will have busy months waiting ahead, since everyone knows that the UK Gambling Commission is extremely strict when it comes to respecting its standards and requirements. The changes probably won’t be such a big deal for leading operators that already meet most of the requirements; nevertheless, they might be a problem for not-that-popular gambling companies.