The UK has always been one of the most desirable markets for online gambling operators. Featuring a great number of people who enjoy an occasional punt and have enough money to put towards this goal, it’s not hard to see why many operators have gone through a lot of trouble to get and maintain their UKGC licenses.
However, the face of gambling in the country is changing, and casinos and betting sites faced with new challenges. The government has introduced maximum bet restrictions for High Street bookies, online casinos are considered for similar measures, and advertising guidelines have become much stricter.
The UKGC, the country’s licensing and regulatory body, is hard at work, chasing down those who break the rules, issuing multi-million penalties. So, although the UK remains a desirable market, things have certainly changed a lot in the past few years.
Competition Growing Between Operators
In all this, the operators are fighting to maintain or improve their position in the market while staying in line with new and constantly changing regulations. This is not an easy task as it requires a lot of foresight and a deep understanding of how to give players what they want while remaining profitable and meeting all the regulatory guidelines.
Some new casinos are doing a better job at it than the others. Sites such as UKcasino.guru represent an excellent resource to find out what the best options are at the moment for UK players in terms of bonuses, game selection, withdrawal times, and much more.
The new situation is likely to benefit the big players in the long run as it might force smaller operators out of the market. Large, well-established gambling companies have the time and resources needed to weather the storm, but those with a small market share to begin with might struggle.
Good or Bad for the Players?
All the government efforts are aimed at restricting operators and providing more protection for the players. The UK has been struggling with gambling addiction for a while now, and these new measures are aimed at reducing the problem and putting it under control.
On the one hand, these policies make sense, especially the reduction of the maximum bet. On the other, however, players could soon be in a situation where only a few big players are left in the market. In that scenario, the competition will be smaller, so they won’t have as much incentive to offer as good bonuses and promotions.
Only the time will tell how things will develop. It is certain, though, that changes in the UK market are here to stay and everyone, operators and players alike, will have to accept and adapt to the new reality.
