The Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS) is the UK’s central database of vulnerable individuals. The register performs the vital task of protecting vulnerable customers of financial services, utility companies, local government and increasingly gaming operators.
The register, which lists more than 750,000 people at any one time, takes information from, and makes it available to, multiple sectors. Individuals can be placed on the VRS by trusted parties such as solicitors, banks, debt charities, local authorities and the NHS – as well as by self-reporting. We believe if somebody finds themselves in vulnerable circumstances, it is likely to be relevant to most of the service providers they deal with, whether that be a bank, utility provider or creditor.
Designed to help people who have circumstances that need to be taken into consideration by the businesses or organisations they have contact with, we use a high-level of flags to help identify the type of vulnerability an individual is suffering from, such as physical or mental health issues, financial capacity, a cognitive disorder, etc. These flags are added when someone registers, or is registered, with the VRS, to allow our member organisations to identify individuals’ circumstances and therefore treat them in the pertinent way, offer them the appropriate level of support and achieve the best outcomes for their customers.
VRS works with many organisations to source data about vulnerable individuals – these include local authorities, solicitors, charities, utilities and lenders. We believe this multitude of sources is vital to ensure people receive relevant support and are not offered inappropriate credit facilities or goods and services.
Increasingly, gambling and gaming organisations like MrQ are working with the VRS to help it comply with new rules including light-touch financial vulnerability checks, which will impact any customers making a £500 net deposit, which will drop to £150 from February 2025. It’s estimated this will represent approximately 10% of all UK gamblers, or 5% of the UK population as a whole.
If an individual is registered with the VRS, a gambling or gaming company can choose to limit the amounts they can deposit as well as communicate with them in a more effective way. For example, if someone has a low level of numeracy, dyslexia or a cognitive issue, the company can change the ways in which they communicate and explain things.
We also work with other organisations such as the Department of Trust (DoTrust) that offers use of the VRS to gambling and gaming organisations as part of its service to bring together every frictionless, enhanced and in-depth player financial risk check, which gambling and gaming companies need to maintain a safe and compliant experience for their customers.
Through this partnership with the DoTrust, operators using their ‘Complete Player Protection Platform’ can perform a frictionless check against the VRS in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. VRS checks provide personal, relevant and timely insights essential to the new light-touch financial vulnerability checks regime coming into force.
DoTrust provides the operator with the risk flags based on the contents of the VRS database which in turn allows for proportionate and explainable actions by the operator, such as installing deposit limits and changing the ways in which they communicate.
The flags are designed to minimise the amount of information about the individual but instead provide an overall picture for operators to make decisions in the interests of their customers.
This partnership is a vital development in protecting people from potential gambling-related harm at a time when the issue has never been more in focus.
The VRS and the alliance with the the DoTrust will help individuals avoid having the same difficult conversations they are having with their banks and utility providers about their situations and their vulnerabilities, when engaging with gambling operators – ensuring adherence to regulatory compliance and best practice.
Helen Lord is the CEO and chief consumer spokesperson of the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS). She is the thought-leader on the subject of vulnerability and is involved with media, speaking, educating and advising. As well as being the industry-leading authority on vulnerability, Lord also has vast knowledge and experience of consumer affairs, fraud and consumer credit-related issues.
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