UK gambling operators have been warned to tread carefully when using non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to resolve disputes with their customers.

On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) issued an industry warning after becoming aware that some of its licensees “have been including non-disclosure clauses within settlement agreements with consumers.”

The UKGC noted that, while there were certain commercial contexts in which NDAs were appropriate, it was concerned that some NDAs “may have had the effect of preventing consumers from reporting regulatory concerns to us, by either excluding disclosure to any third party or, in some cases, explicitly preventing customers from contacting” the regulator.

The UKGC wants to ensure that NDA’s don’t result in consumers feeling they can’t report dodgy conduct to any regulator or law enforcement agency. The UKGC also wants to ensure that problem gamblers can “freely discuss their gambling history with treatment providers.”