UK-licensed online gambling operators have been told to put consumers first or face the wrath of the country’s gambling regulator.

On Wednesday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) unveiled its new enforcement strategy for licensees who violate the terms of their licensing agreements. The strategy, which followed a 12-week consultation period with industry stakeholders, emphasizes the price for failing to observe the UKGC’s new ‘consumer first’ policy.

The UKGC says operators who flout the rules will face financial penalties that ensure the offender doesn’t reap “any financial gain or benefit from non-compliance.” The UKGC will also consider the impact of the offense on consumers as well as “the need for a deterrence uplift” to ensure that non-compliance is more costly than compliance.

Other factors in determining penalties include the role of middle and senior management in the breach, whether the breach continued after the operator (or its board members) became aware of it, and whether the operator attempted to conceal its failure or breach. And while the UKGC will offer a discount to operators who come forward of their own accord and reach voluntary settlements, disciplined operators won’t be allowed to “generate positive publicity” from their settlement deals.