World Rugby and UKGC Partnership
The world governing body for the sport of rugby union is World Rugby. Besides organizing international competitions in the likes of the Pacific Nations Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the World Under 20 Championship among others, World Rugby coordinates the Rugby World Cup every four years. It is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. In 2009, the ‘defining character-building characteristics’ of rugby were recognized to be those of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline, and respect.
To protect these very values and to ensure that the game does not fall prey to corruption activities, it has entered a tactical partnership with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and made their working relationship since 2012 official. The Gambling Kingdom was established under the Gambling Act of 2005 in September 2007, in order to regulate commercial betting in Great Britain while supervising gaming laws in the country. Its motto is to keep gambling fair and safe for all. Furthermore, operators are issued licenses by the said establishment and from time to time the government is also advised by it regarding gambling-related matters.
In the past decade, rugby has ascertained itself to be a major international sport within the Olympic spectrum and has thus strengthened the need to maintain caution when it comes to the integrity of the sport. All information relating to the Rugby World Cup and other tournaments is managed by the Gambling Commission.
This partnership is a precautionary measure, as Susan Ahern, the World Rugby Head of Legal and Legislative Affairs, has made it known that even though the sport does not have an issue with gambling-related briberies and match-fixing, it is their duty to the sport and community alike to keep the risk of a possible threat at bay.
As World Rugby seeks to protect the Rugby World Cup and other tournaments from the ills of odd fraud and corruption, the Gambling Commission’s role is to gather information from across a range of sports hosted in Great Britain and develop intelligence on possible corrupt practices based on it.
GamStop is a free self-exclusion service provider that helps one restrict their gambling activities by permitting one to impose controls on themselves. It is operated by The National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited, a non-profit organization. Its services are restricted to residents from the United Kingdom exclusively.
As one signs up for the services, they will be averted from betting on websites and applications licensed out of Great Britain for a definite period of time as opted by the user. However, the UK punters who are ready to play still have access to bookmakers not blocked by GamStop available in the United Kingdom. As those gambling sites don’t cooperate with GamStop, they are also not in the GamStop database. GamStop also provides guidance on practical controls, debt, gambling, and emotional support. Hence, according to the Gambling Commission, it is a must for all online gambling operators to participate in the GamStop self-exclusion scheme.
Similarly, GamBan, GamBlock, and GamCare are similar services that are available to UK players looking for exclusion from gambling. Some of these also offer phone Apps that restrict gamblers from accessing casino sites on the phone, computers, or other hand-held devices. However, the non-UKGC breed of casinos isn’t subjected to any such mandatory policies. Players who have enrolled in self-exclusion schemes such as GamStop can avail of casino services from these sites.
The Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU), a division of the Gambling Commission, operates closely with both sports governing bodies as well as the betting industry. The body works to comprehend potential threats and defend the integrity of sports as well as gambling. It collects information from a number of sources which include the alerts and concerns coming from the betting industry or sports governing bodies and sometimes through their confidential intelligence line.
The role of SBIU is to build intelligence and come up with a course of action that quite obviously will vary from case to case. The Gambling Commission has the power to investigate and bring prosecutions concerning criminal offences under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005.
Organizations licensed out of or partnered with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission can ensure to its customers full-on the protection of private data and funds which in turn builds goodwill for both the Gambling Commission and the registered company. This contributes to an extended customer base. Also, some bookmakers are doing additional initiatives in this sphere.
The partnership with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission is a massive step-up for World Rugby and a wholesome one towards preserving the integrity of the sport and the immediate community while educating the athletes and officials on their responsibilities as the rugby body refrains from complacency.
Additionally, similar relationships with other such regulators are maintained by the British Gambling Commission all across the world that grants it access to information relating to betting activities in tournaments hosted in their jurisdictions.
