Experian Could Control Affordability Checks For Gambling
The iGaming Post has received information that credit check company Experian has been in talks with the UK government and or the Gambling Commission in regards to working on an affordability check for gambling in the country.
According to sources close to the credit check giant it is understood that meetings have or are ongoing in relation to Experian running the affordability checks that the UK government are considering enforcing onto gambling firms and especially online gambling.
The UK gambling review is still ongoing and is expected to offer recommendations possibly as early as the end of this month, however what concerns regulators the most is the affordability of gamblers to play and the ability of operators to control that effectively.
Experian is the obvious choice to offer this service and it is understood talks are connected with the ability of Experian being able to offer that exact service. The credit checking company has embedded itself into the UK economy with banks, business and lenders relying on Experian to decide the fate of millions of credit applications from car loans to mortgages.
However to enforce a commercial entity onto gambling operators would be a dangerous step and fraught with controversy by both operators and customers. But the UK government want to ensure gambling affordability is enforced to ensure gamblers are safer and protected.
Experian say on their website: “We’re discovering opportunities that make your day run smoother, your business grow and society prosper. Our 17,800 people work with millions of people, and thousands of organisations, from global businesses to local charities. We’re helping people around the world – in North America, Latin America, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.”
It is not clear if those talks are still ongoing by Experian and government representatives as Experian would need to create a new formula model to not just ensure the customer has the funds to gamble but what the percentage of those funds should be available to spend on gambling.
One more detail is if Experian would want to involve itself into a business that could create huge negative exposure to the firm that had seen huge expansion of its service globally, effectively controlling the lives and decisions of millions of people looking to buy cars, homes and everyday credit items.
