Online gamblers to have strict ID and age checks to boost ‘self-exclusion’

GAMBLERS face rigorous ID and age checks from May before they can bet money under plans to create a legallyenforced national “self exclusion” scheme for online addicts.

The Gambling Commission wants tougher ID and age checks in which gamblers will have to document their name, address, date of birth and email address in order to bet money online.

The move is partly designed to close loopholes in a planned national “self exclusion” scheme, Gamstop, that will force all gambling firms under their licences to block gamblers that sign up. There are fears that unless there is a tough ID system, addicts could circumvent the scheme by opening a new account under a different name or an amended version of their name.

The new regulations will also force the gambling giants to carry out checks on credit and debit card bets to ensure they are not being used as a proxy by addicts, who, for example, may have stolen them or be using a partner’s.

“The changes will help operators better prevent harm or detect criminal activity because they have more information about their customers,” said the Gambling Commission.

Gamstop already has 60,000 gamblers signed up to its “self-exclusion”.

Gambling firms will be expected by law to block all of them as a condition of their UK licence when the Government gives the go-ahead, which is expected in the next few months.

The move comes as a House of Lords committee is to be set up to investigate the impact of Labour’s gambling deregulation in 2005, which critics claim has led to increased addiction.

The Lords’ powerful liaison committee backed the year-long investigation after it was proposed by the Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, who said the explosion in online betting had seen the number of problem gamblers increase to 450,000, including 55,000 children and young people.

It is expected to consider proposals including curbs on gambling adverts in sport – similar to that on tobacco – a ban on the use of credit cards and a mandatory levy on the industry to pay for research and treatment.

Dr Smith said it was a “long overdue” inquiry that would establish the scale of problem, in particular claims that as many as 500 suicides a year are linked to gambling addiction.

The gambling commission is currently considering a ban on credit cards amid claims that up to 20 per cent of deposits are made using money that consumers do not actually have. The commission is also due to publish its new national strategy on combating gambling harms, which will include action on self exclusion schemes.

Matt Zarb-cousin, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling and founder of the Gamban “self-exclusion” software that prevents access to online sites, said problem gamblers needed to have as many different layers of blocks as possible.