The topic of self-regulation and player protection has come to the fore of the gambling industry this month for UK Punters, thanks to a new initiative by the country’s top bookmakers. Following increased scrutiny by the government over the past two years, operators have been forced to address the issue of players spending more than they can afford.

Mimicking the Online World

The watchdog, named the Senet Group, has been set-up to tackle the UK Punters issues and will daub the fronts of sports betting shops across the country. Sending out messages of responsible gambling, the initiative aims to mimic the restrictions presented in the online gambling world.

Through a combination of tight regulations and high-tech software, providers such as Betfair have given players the ability to control their own betting activities. Inside each app it’s now possible to implement set stake betting strategies for various sports, including horse racing and football betting.

Using apps such as TheBetEngine, Fairbot and BetTrader, users can access a feature known as “staking mode” to define and control the betting limits they are comfortable with. By setting their apps to either “payout” or “liability” mode, users can see how much they will stand to win or how much risk their bet has.

Greater Protection for UK Punters

Using this system, punters can then manage their money and control how much they’re betting so that they don’t spend more than they can afford to. Having such provisions in the live sports betting world isn’t possible, but between the new initiatives by bookmakers and current software provisions available in the online world, the safety of players is now greater than it’s ever been. Although problem gambling is an issue that probably won’t ever go away, it’s now possible to say that potential UK punters are a lot more protected than they’ve ever been.