Regulations have become a hot topic during the COVID-19 topic, as lawmakers and action groups argue that operators may only take advantage of the situation, while the iGaming industry tries to show its best side. At the second day of the SBC Digital Summit, Moderator Andy Danson, a partner at Bird & Bird, lead a panel with Martin Lycka, Director of Regulatory Affairs at GVC Holdings, David Williams, Director of Regulatory Affairs of the Rank Group, Avigail Nir, COO of Mansion Casino, and from the regulatory side, Yanica Sant, Head of EU Affairs & Policy at the Malta Gaming Authority, looking at how the constantly evolving situation is shaping up.

Williams noted right off the bat that, contrary to the popular public narrative, there hasn’t been an explosion of betting. Nir and Lycka concurred on this point, with even the regulator noting that things are much more manageable than expected. “What we’re expecting was a much more dramatic change in player behavior than what we’re seeing,” Sant said.

Unfortunately though, regulators in some countries have been pushed to act out of anxiety, and Lycka railed on the idea of implementing arbitrary affordability limits, like in the U.K. He argued that these limits don’t make much sense, and it’s hard for a government to assess what a customer can afford, especially right now when spending habits are changing.

But the topic that dominated the discussion was the recent announcement by the U.K’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) that several operators have voluntarily agreed to cease TV and radio advertising. One audience member asked if this was an admission that gambling may be a problem by the groups involved.