UKGC highlights Allwyn’s progress and importance of player protection

• UK Gambling Commission’s acting CEO, Sarah Gardner, delivered a speech at the Allwyn Participant Protection Conference
• The executive highlighted the ongoing progress of the operator that digitalized the National Lottery, delivered Powerball and introduced additional new games
• Gardner emphasized the importance of the implemented player protections and encouraged Allwyn to continue to improve those measures

The gambling regulator in the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), highlighted the progress Allwyn has made as the operator of the National Lottery and encouraged the implementation of best practices for the protection of players.

Those are some of the points shared in a speech by the UKGC’s acting CEO, Sarah Gardner, who spoke during the Allwyn Participant Protection Conference last week.

Allwyn digitalized the National Lottery, added new games, including Powerball

Early in her speech, the gambling regulator’s boss said it is exciting to participate in the Conference and discuss the ongoing progress of Allwyn, while looking forward to such future events.

Gardner acknowledged that Allwyn, as the fourth National Lottery license holder, demonstrated its commitment to turning its plans into reality.

One of the most important achievements by the operator was delivered at the start of this year when the National Lottery received its largest upgrade to date.

"This was a crucial moment in the journey of the Fourth License and Allwyn’s stewardship of The National Lottery. And the ‘Digital Cutover’ as those of us working on it - and who spent more time thinking about it than was healthy - got used to calling it, was about far more than making sure the tech that supports The National Lottery was upgraded, as important as that was," the UKGC’s acting CEO explained.

According to Gardner, this upgrade marked a major milestone in the innovation of products for the National Lottery and its future growth.

What’s more, she pointed to the introduction of Powerball to UK players by Allwyn, describing this achievement as a clear sign of the operator’s dedication to innovating the National Lottery in order to generate additional returns to good causes.

Gardner said that the addition of Powerball was welcomed by the UKGC, while highlighting the regulator’s ongoing collaboration with Allwyn that played a central role in approving many new games and game changes.

While the National Lottery offers low-risk gambling products, player protection is important

One of the key points of the UKGC’s acting CEO was the ongoing focus on player protection and the importance of such initiatives.

Gardner explained that the National Lottery "is shown to be one of the lowest risk gambling products anyone can play."

Still, the regulator’s boss outlined that this doesn’t mean there aren't risks and highlighted the need for protections.

Gardner once again mentioned the digital transformation of the Lottery completed by Allwyn, pointing to the successful implementation of player safeguards available online and via the Lottery’s app.

"There have been teething issues - we all know sometimes a step forward might be followed by a step back – but the commitment, and the progress that has followed so far, to player protection is real and is something that I and the Commission fully support," she added.

Finally, Gardner said that while growing the proceeds to good causes is important, the protection of players must be a core part of that process.

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