Casinos

Preventing underage gambling

Under-18s are not allowed into any part of the gambling facilities on these premises. To make sure that they do not gain access, operators must:

  • check your age if they believe that you might be under 18,
  • take action if there are attempts by under-18s to enter their premises, and
  • take action to remove you if you cannot provide a suitable form of identification when asked to do so.

“Suitable identification” is identification that is valid and contains both your photo and date of birth, for example driving licence, passport, or Connexions card.

Operators must not serve adults who have a child or underage person with them. If you as an adult knowingly take children on to premises, you face exclusion or prosecution.

Operators must not target under-18s by advertising their products in a way that makes them attractive to this age group.

Providing information to customers

Casinos must make sure that you can easily obtain information on how to gamble responsibly.

They must also provide information about the help that you can get if you have a gambling problem.

Helping problem gamblers

Casino staff must be trained to recognise the signs that may show that a person has a gambling problem, and must know what to do when they have concerns about a customer.

If staff have genuine concerns that you may have a gambling problem, they will decide whether to discuss this with you. How they actually do this is up to each operator to decide. Options might include providing you with leaflets, or explaining self-exclusion to you and offering you the choice of self-excluding.

In certain circumstances, staff may refuse to serve you, or may decide that it is in your best interests to bar you from their premises.

Self-exclusion

Operators must have procedures in place allowing you to self-exclude for a length of time – usually between six months and five years. While you are excluded, the operator must take all reasonable steps to prevent you from gambling with them. At the end of the period chosen, the self-exclusion should continue unless you take positive action to end it. In the meantime, if you are found trying to gamble with the operator, you will be removed.

Credit

Not all gambling operators allow you to use your credit card. In cases where you can use your credit card the operator will check with the card company that the money can be transferred. This money must then be placed in a customer account.

Making sure gambling is ‘fair and open’

Casinos must ensure that the terms by which gambling is offered are not unfair. They are required by the Gambling Commission to display the following:

  • the rules of each type of casino game made available,
  • a player’s guide to the house edge, and
  • a player’s guide to the rules of any equal chance game made available.

Casinos must also make sure that proper supervision of gaming at tables is carried out by staff to ensure that there is no overcrowding or jostling of players.

Marketing and advertising

Gambling advertising is monitored by the Advertising Standards Authority and must be socially responsible. This means that adverts must not be targeted or be attractive to children. Adverts cannot present gambling as a solution to financial problems or misrepresent the rules of the game.

Operators may offer you incentives or rewards for gambling with them, but these must be proportionate to the type of gambling involved and the terms and conditions must be made clear.

Complaints and disputes

All operators must have a procedure to deal with customer complaints and disputes. If you make a complaint, you should be advised of the details of the person you should contact and provided with a copy of the complaints procedure.

If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been handled or the outcome, the operator must provide you with details of an independent third-party to review your dispute.