UKGC executive director Tim Miller praises “practical” Bingo Association as relationship strengthens

Speaking at the Bingo Association’s annual general meeting (AGM), Miller touched on several relevant points of interest - with the relationship between the UKGC and Great Britain’s leading bingo organisation a core focus.

Specifically, Miller lauded the Bingo Association for its strategic protocols when facing relevant issues, saying: “The approach taken by the Bingo Association in recent times has been exactly what we need when it comes to the issues that matter.”

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According to the senior UKGC director, forging a “safer, fairer and crime free” domestic gambling industry sits at the heart of the regulatory body’s goals - and the Bingo Association’s “commitment to collaborative working” aids in achieving that target. 

A crucial element that Miller sought to cover was the topic of gaming machines. The UKGC is currently holding a multi-week consultation to review and assess the regulatory framework tied to such terminals, following a white paper recommendation to potentially relax certain rules. 

The consultative period rolled into action on 29 January and was initially planned to conclude on 20 May. However, Miller announced that his team had agreed to extend the deadline by three weeks - with it now set to close on 3 June. 

Confirming the consultation’s extension, Miller said: “I’m pleased to say that we had an opportunity to demonstrate how we have listened to you and others and confirm that we are extending the consultation period for responses, extending the deadline past the initial closing date of 20 May by another two weeks to 3 June. 

“This will give more time for those impacted or interested to make submissions, provide data and give us the information we need to get to the right outcomes.”

But, perhaps most pertinent to those attending the Bingo Association’s AGM was Miller’s final subject: illegal bingo.

Acknowledging the concerns held by bingo sector staff, Miller said: “Another area we are keen to deliver better outcomes through working with you is in tackling illegal Bingo. We engage with the Bingo Association regularly and recently you have shared through the team at the association that you are becoming increasingly concerned about bingo offered without a licence.”

He reaffirmed the UK Gambling Commission’s pledge to “take action” against unlicensed and illegal bingo practices. 

However, the executive director indicated that there is an unbalance between the volume of reporting and the industry’s level of concern. 

In a bid to alleviate anxiety, Miller promised that the UKGC would utilise all evidence-based data accrued through the body’s confidential reporting system to “crack down on illegal operations” and ensure that “everyone in Great Britain playing bingo is doing so safely.”

Concluding his address, Miller again credited the Bingo Association for its fast-acting efforts against industry malpractice: “The Gambling Commission is committed to delivering safer, fairer and crime free gambling. We can best do that when we can work constructively with industry on the basis of compliance at the earliest opportunity. 

“With the Bingo sector, I’m happy to say we’re doing just that at the moment. Let’s carry on in the way we have been.”