After a few weeks of investigations, confusion and more than ninety exploding Note 7s, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has now officially instructed Galaxy Note 7 owners in the US to stop using the smartphone immediately and return it to Samsung as soon as possible. Although the company did recall the Note 7 smartphones worldwide much earlier, there was quite a bit of confusion regarding what the situation was exactly and how to proceed with the replacement or refund. In order to make things easier, here's what the official statement from CPSC declared earlier.

"Consumers should immediately stop using and power down the recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices purchased before September 15th, 2016,"

"Contact the wireless carrier, retail outlet, or Samsung.com where you purchased your device to receive free of charge a new Galaxy Note 7 with a different battery, a refund, or a new replacement device."

If you opt to exchange your Note 7 for a brand new and safe one, the new box should have an "S" in blue, printed over the bar code to denote that it's safe. We have information from Recode that in spite of the multiple warnings, only about 130,000 customers have returned their devices so far in the US. Hopefully this formal CPSC statement will encourage more customers to opt for the replacement/refund.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

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The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) recognized the issue about the long-term effects of gambling on children. Hence, it urged gambling operators to implement tougher rules to ward off kids from playing their games. The operators should also review actively how they verify the age of their players to further stop underage gambling.

To support the program of the UKGC, most players are now reading the best online casino reviews - UK´s top 10 online casinos. Doing so will help them know which casinos are adhering to the rules. It is a way for them to help the government in preventing and stopping the increasing number of underage individuals engaging in gambling activities.

Recently, the Commission regulator revealed new policies designed to assist its programs in preventing individuals under the age of 18 from gambling online. The new rules also target self-excluded players or those who are taking a time out from gambling.

Verifying the Age

After an open consultation, the Gambling Commission formulated the new regulations. Under the fresh policies, all licensed iGaming operators must verify their players' age before they allow them to fund their accounts or play real-money games.

Before, iGaming operators would verify their players' age in 72 hours. During the verification process, gamers can play games for real money. However, they could not withdraw their wins unless the verification has been completed and they passed. If the person is underage, the operator must return whatever bet the player has made.

The new rules, however, would require operators to verify the players' age before they can even deposit money into their account. Furthermore, they are not allowed to gamble using a free game or bonus. Even accessing the free or demo versions, the player's age has to be verified first before the customer could play them.

These new rules will be implemented on May 7.

Aiming for Accuracy

The updated policies cover every area of remote gambling. It includes sports books and online casinos. Apart from age, the iGaming operators must also verify the name and address of the players before they could gamble or withdraw their funds. The Gambling Commission urged the operators to perform reasonable steps in ensuring that the personal details of the players are accurate.

ID Requests

The Gambling Commission received several complaints about some iGaming operators requesting extra ID details each time a customer wants to withdraw winnings. To mitigate it, the Gambling Commission stated that the iGaming operators must ask the required details for verification before the players could deposit money.

The regulator obligated iGaming firms to inform their players about the other details that might be necessary to verify their identification. They must also inform them of the information that might be necessary and how they could supply them to the licensee.

Detect Underage Gambling

The Chief Executive for the Gambling Commission also announced that the new policies will assist the iGaming firms to gain more information about their players. In that way, they could further detect underage gambling. The new rules will also prevent any criminal activities related to gambling.

He cited that the alterations were made to assist players. The operators cannot demand that the players send additional ID as one of the terms to cash out.

In other words, the new rules have been made to ensure that online gambling is fairer. Consumers can collect their wins without having to endure unnecessary delay. Since the online gambling market in the UK is the largest regulated gambling market in the world, the Commission wants it to be the safest and the fairest.

With these new policies, you cannot get free spins on registration unless your account has been successfully verified. Any casino bonuses cannot be accessed before the verification is completed.

The changes in the rules were formulated after the Gambling Commission review online gambling activities. The Commission promised that it will use its powers to ensure the safety of consumers and protect underage individuals against gambling addiction.

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