BGO formally commits to CMA undertakings
Online casino becomes fourth firm to announce formal undertakings, although many changes have already been made
BGO has become the latest firm to formally commit to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) requirements around clearer terms and conditions.
The competition watchdog announced Friday afternoon BGO had pledged to be “clear in the terms and conditions of its bonus promotions, and prominently flag any significant restrictions to players”
It will also not have terms which:
- Require people to play multiple times before allowing them to withdraw their own money
- Prevent them from withdrawing their full balance by minimum withdrawal limits
- Could oblige players to take part in publicity.
The announcement makes BGO the fourth firm of the original ‘CMA five’ to commit to formal undertaking, following Ladbrokes, William Hill, and PT Entertainment.
BGO has also separately agreed that it will not include terms which could be used to unfairly change promotions after players have opted in.
EGR understands the formal agreement will have a relatively small impact in practice on BGO operations, with the firm having scrapped wagering requirements and overhauled its terms in September last year.
George Lusty, CMA senior director for consumer protection, said: “Gambling firms should not have terms that could be used to catch players out by unfairly changing their promotions after a customer has opted in.
“We are therefore pleased that BGO has pledged to make these important changes. Following the CMA’s action, the gambling industry is rightly taking steps to overhaul online terms and conditions that could be misleading or unfair.”
The entire industry has been warned to make similar changes to their terms, or risk facing enforcement action, while the CMA recently wrote to a “number of operators” launching new enforcement action against withdrawal restrictions and dormancy fees.