05Feb

White Paper Series: New rules on customer led tools, customer funds and statutory levy

5th February 2025 Harris Hagan 209

On 4 February 2025, the Gambling Commission announced changes aimed at increasing consumer control over deposit limits and greater transparency of customer funds protection by operators. Also, a further change to the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (“LCCP”) will also pave the way for implementation of the Government’s upcoming statutory levy. These changes are part of the consultation response to the Autumn 2023 Consultation and are consistent with the commitments within the White Paper.

What are the changes?

New customer led tools

The new rules will give consumers more effective ways to manage their gambling by making it easier to set and maintain deposit limits on their online accounts, in ways that work best for them. These rules will take good practice already offered by some operators and expand that so customers can expect the same standards across the industry.

From 31 October 2025, all gambling operators must prompt their customers to set a financial limit before they make their first deposit and make it easy to review and alter this limit at any point after.

Gambling operators will also be required to remind customers every six months to review their account and transaction information. The Gambling Commission believes this will help customers consider if they want to change existing, or set new, deposit limits.

The announcement confirms that the Gambling Commission’s work revealed recent changes by some operators on how deposit limits are offered, which could cause confusion for consumers. As a result, a short supplementary consultation will be launched on proposals to improve consistency and transparency for consumers on how financial limits work.

2. Transparency of protection of customer funds

Operators who hold customer funds must already set out in the terms and conditions whether these are protected in the event of insolvency, the level of such protection and the method by which this is achieved. They must also make this information available at the point at which a customer first deposits money.

The level of protection must be described as either ‘not protected – no segregation’, ‘not protected – segregation of customer funds’, ‘medium protection’ or ‘high protection’.

From 31 October 2025, operators whose customer funds are ‘not protected’ in the event of insolvency must actively remind customers once every six months that their funds are not protected.

Whilst there is no legal duty on gambling operators to protect customers funds in the event of insolvency, many of them do so voluntarily. The Gambling Commission believes the changes will help consumers understand which operators protect their funds and which do not – information which will support them in making choices about who they gamble with.

3. Changes connected with the new statutory levy

The LCCP currently requires operators to make annual financial contributions to a list of research, prevention and treatment organisations.

This requirement will be removed close to the introduction of the Government’s statutory levy (expected to come into force on 6 April 2025) as it will become obsolete. The Gambling Commission will notify licensees of the date of implementation as soon as the Parliamentary process is complete.

Tim Miller, Commission Executive Director for research and policy, said:

“These changes illustrate our commitment to ensuring gambling is fair and open by improving consumer empowerment and choice.

“These changes will help consumers decide on deposit limits, enable them to keep track of their spending and ensure they are fully aware of what happens to their funds should an operator become insolvent.

“We will now continue our work to deliver our remaining White Paper commitments, including our programme of evaluation.”

Next steps

The new statutory levy requirement is expected to come into force on 6 April 2025. Changes on customer led tools and the protection of customer funds will come into force on 31 October 2025.

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about these upcoming changes.

04Feb

White Paper Series: Gambling Commission launches January 2025 consultation

4th February 2025 Harris Hagan 183

On 29 January 2025, the Gambling Commission launched its January 2025 consultation (the “January 2025 Consultation”). It is the Gambling Commission’s third consultation addressing its commitments within the White Paper, following the Summer 2024 consultation and Autumn 2023 consultation.

What does the January 2025 Consultation propose?

The January 2025 Consultation sets out proposed changes to the Gaming Machine Technical Standards (“GMTS”), the Gaming Machine Testing Strategy (“Testing Strategy”), and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (“LCCP”), several of which were foreshadowed in the Gambling Commission’s Advice to Government in April 2023.

These include:

introducing five new standards, a licence condition and a social responsibility code provision designed to support and empower consumers to use gaming machines safely at every stage of the customer journey – this includes proposals on time and monetary limit setting functionality and information provision, such as safer gambling messaging and the display of net position and session time;
amending three existing standards having considered industry proposals to improve customer enjoyment and gameplay;
consolidating the existing 12 gaming machine technical standards into a single standard, whilst amending the format to be more consistent with the Remote gambling and software technical standards for greater clarity; and
updating the gaming machine technical standards and the related testing strategy to remove obsolete material.

1. Consolidation of the GMTS

The Gambling Commission proposes to consolidate the 12 existing GMTS into a single standard and amend the format to be more consistent with the Remote gambling and software technical standards. The proposed consolidated version of the GMTS will be structured into 8 main standards and apply to all the main categories of gaming machines, with a further 6 standards for specific technical requirements. Although the text is proposed to be re-structured, these are essentially unchanged from the existing GMTS and cover areas such as legacy gaming machines, wireless network requirements and linked progressive requirements.

Given the now identical maximum charges for use (and maximum payouts) on Category B2 and B3 gaming machines is £2 per game (reduced from £100 per game in 2019), the Gambling Commission propose amending the GMTS for Category B2 gaming machines. Proposals are in relation to the game speed of play, that each game cycle must last at least 2.5 seconds (GMTS 5.7), and use of compensators and/or regulators, now permissible subject to compliance with the requirements and implementation guidance (GMTS 5.8).

2. Amendments to the GMTS

The proposals include amendments to the existing GMTS following the Gambling Commission’s consideration of industry proposals to improve consumer enjoyment and gameplay. These include:

changes to game links (meaning an element, feature or outcome from one game is either held over or made reference to (recreated) in the next game (for example, reel band holds)) by (i) adjusting the value and the number of repeats permissible on Category C gaming machines (GMTS 5.14b) and (ii) removing the need for a 50/50 chance following a losing game on Category B gaming machines (GMTS 5.14a); and
changes to live jackpots by allowing a player to gamble a live jackpot win on all categories of gaming machine (GMTS 5.9) – allowing live jackpots to be gambled, in the same manner that other prizes can be. This would not require consumers to gamble but rather choose to gamble or collect the live jackpot win in full at their own discretion.

It is noted in the January 2025 Consultation that several other proposals were discounted for a variety of reasons. These reasons included, for example, risk to the licensing objectives and the need for primary legislation which sits outside of the Gambling Commission’s remit.

3. New technical standards of the GMTS

The Gambling Commission seeks to support and empower consumers to use gaming machines safely at every stage of the customer journey.

Notably, the January 2025 Consultation proposes to introduce five new technical standards of the GMTS. These new standards focus on:

time and monetary limit setting (GMTS 15.1) including:
- requiring operators to ensure machines offer a default option of no more than a 20-minute session and £150 in deposits;
- requiring customers to set their own limits, but these must not be more than 60 minutes or £450 deposited – setting no limits will not be an option; and
- requiring players to take a mandatory break in play of at least 30 seconds when they hit their assigned limits; in addition, an alert will be sent to staff in the venue to inform them that a gambler has reached their pre-set threshold;
safe gambling messaging during breaks in play when a customer set limit or default limit is reached or modified prior to being reached. The provision of information other than safer gambling messaging – such as a marketing of games or new promotional offers – in this scenario, will be prohibited (GMTS 15.2);
display of net position and elapsed time (GMTS 15.3);
awards less than or equal to the last total stake gambled must not be celebrated (GMTS 15.4); and
prohibiting features that permit a customer to reduce the time until the result is known (GMTS 15.5).

Regular readers will note the similarities between some of the new technical standards and the changes to the remote games design requirements that came into force on 17 January 2025. For further information, please see our blog: Reminder: Changes to remote games design requirements come into force on 17 January 2025.

A copy of the proposed new GMTS is available here.

f. Update to a social responsibility code provision of the LCCP

It is also proposed that a social responsibility code provision (SR C P 3.3.3) of the LCCP should be amended to require licensees to ensure that any gaming machines comply with GMTS 15.1 in relation to time and monetary limit setting, and ensure that staff alerts for limit setting are acted upon appropriately and in a timely manner.

g. Update to the Testing Strategy

The Gambling Commission wants to update the Testing Strategy to remove obsolete material in the strategy. Proposals include removal of the initial transitional arrangements and implementation dates.

In addition, the Gambling Commission proposes to align the testing requirements for Category B2 gaming machines with those applicable to Category B3 gaming machines, due to the identical maximum charges for use (and maximum payouts) on Category B2 and B3 gaming machines.

A copy of the proposed new Testing Strategy is available here.

h. New licence condition of the LCCP

The January 2025 Consultation proposes to introduce a new licence condition of the LCCP, under the powers conferred by section 86(2) of the Gambling Act 2005, which will allow the Gambling Commission to effectively address instances whereby a gaming machine has been illegally manufactured, supplied, installed, adapted, maintained or repaired, or does not comply with the GMTS. Making a specified machine available for use after the Gambling Commission has notified the licensee in writing that the manufacture, supply, installation, adaption, maintenance or repair of the machine will now be a breach of a licence condition if it (a) was not carried out in reliance on a gaming machine technical operating licence, or (b) did not comply with the Commission’s gaming machine technical standards, which could give rise to enforcement action by the Gambling Commission .

Will this be the last White Paper consultation by the Gambling Commission?

While this is the Gambling Commission’s third consultation implementing proposals in the White Paper, it is unlikely to be the last. A further Gambling Commission consultation for the land-based sector may be required in due course if the Government decides to remove the prohibition on the direct use of debit cards on gaming machines. The Gambling Commission is also considering undertaking a further consultation to consider the effects of legislative change following the Gambling Act Review.

Next steps

The January 2025 Consultation will be open for 16 weeks, closing on 20 May 2025. Responses can be submitted online, or by post to the Gambling Commission’s Policy Team.

We strongly encourage all licensees and stakeholders to review and respond to the January 2025 Consultation. Please get in touch with us if you would like to discuss this matter further or require our assistance preparing responses.

29Jan

Unlicensed gambling – Part 3: The warning, the webinar and the method(ology) to the madness

29th January 2025 Gemma Boore 193

In this Part 3 of our recent blogs on unlicensed gambling, we discuss recent statements made by the Gambling Commission regarding the steps that it is taking to identify, quantify and disrupt illegal online gambling in Great Britain (“GB”).

If you would like to read more on this subject please see: Unlicensed gambling – Part 1: Growing threat or exaggerated myth? and Unlicensed gambling – Part 2: Is the Gambling Commission winning the “whack-a-mole” game?

The Warning

On 20 January 2025, the Gambling Commission posted a warning notice to the gambling industry on its website in which it explained it had become aware of casino games supplied by licensed operators appearing on unlicensed websites available to GB consumers illegally, and called on its B2B licensees to help it to tackle the illegal, unlicensed market.

The Gambling Commission noted that in some instances, third party resellers (who are also commonly known in the industry as aggregators) are distributing games supplied by its licensees to the illegal market, often in breach of contractual obligations. In the Gambling Commission’s view, licensees may have been negligent in permitting this and warned that that this practice might place a Gambling Commission issued operating licence at risk.

To mitigate this regulatory risk, the Gambling Commission advised its B2B licensees:

to actively monitor their business relationships to ensure their partners are not participating in offering illegal gambling facilities to the GB market;
to terminate relationships where non-compliance has occurred; and
to actively engage with the Gambling Commission where such activities are identified, setting out the preventative measures adopted to ensure such activity ceases immediately, making clear that:

“Actively notifying the Commission and setting out a clear plan to mitigate the issue at pace is a minimum requirement.” 

The Webinar

The previous week, Harris Hagan’s Managing Partner, John Hagan hosted the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) Best Practices Webinar on 15 January 2025, titled “Setting the UK Gambling Agenda for 2025: a less political year?”. During the webinar, Andrew Rhodes (Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission) and Grainne Hurst (Chief Executive of the Betting & Gaming Council (“BGC”)) shared their thoughts on various topics, including unlicensed gambling.

Rhodes confirmed that the Gambling Commission has invested in disrupting the illegal, online gambling market during recent years, with some success. However:

“Everyone should accept there has always been an illegal market present and much as different people want to debate the size and value of it, the reality is we need to understand the flow into it and why that happens, as well as preventing its ability to operate at scale.”

Rhodes emphasised that “legitimate” licensees are expected to undertake their own due-diligence on their suppliers and partners to ensure they are not engaged in unlicensed activity facing into GB – expressing concern at why anyone in the licensed industry would want to be in business with a company that is supporting illegal competition.

Rhodes went on to confirm that in 2025, the Gambling Commission will continue to use new capabilities around covert test purchasing and other investigative tools to identify those who are assisting illegal operators, as well as targeting those illegal operators directly – concluding by making clear that where the Gambling Commission feels it is necessary to suspend or revoke the licence of any operator or supplier, they will do.

Meanwhile, Hurst confirmed that disrupting the unlicensed market is a top priority for the BGC, alongside delivering the outstanding elements of the White Paper and making sure that a sensible tax harmonisation is put in place when the new regime is announced later this year. While they are still in the process of formalising next steps, action is being taken following the Gambling Commission’s challenge to the industry last year, and B2B BGC members will soon be required to commit not to provide content to unlicensed operators serving the GB market.

The Method(ology) to the Madness

The recent flurry of warnings by the Gambling Commission regarding unlicensed gambling follow its release last year of a statistics and research paper, Unlicensed gambling – Using data to identify unlicensed operators and estimate the scale of this market – October 2024 (the “Methodology Paper”). The Methodology Paper was a first step for the Gambling Commission in sharing its work in developing its capacity to identify unlicensed operators in GB, in which it explains how it is using an evidence-led approach to disrupt unlicensed gambling.

Focus

Although the Gambling Commission acknowledges in the Methodology Paper that unlicensed gambling can also take place in land-based premises, the paper is focused on the online market ‘where data has the greatest potential to help us make an impact’. The Gambling Commission explains in the Methodology Paper that it has undertaken several stages of work to formulate its approach which include:

Understanding the motivations for consumers to enter the online unlicensed market, and the channels through which they do so

The Gambling Commission is focusing on specific areas of consumer motivation: people who have experienced gambling harms – especially those who are self-excluded; and consumers looking to avoid identity verification.

Identifying unlicensed operators and estimating the scale of usage by GB customers

Web traffic data and gambling behaviour data will be used to estimate the gross gambling yield (“GGY”) of the online unlicensed market, although the Gambling Commission concedes that making an accurate estimate will be challenging, as much activity is deliberately obscured by virtual private networks (“VPNs”).

Methodology

The Gambling Commission will use the following methods to identify and measure the scale of the online unlicensed market:

Google search results to list of search terms

Results to search terms will be monitored on a monthly basis. The search terms will be devised from a combination of industry engagement and consumer research, advice from the Gambling Commission’s intelligence and enforcement teams, and additional desktop research on to identify terms used on affiliate pages such as “not on GAMSTOP” that are used to target particular groups of consumers.

Identify affiliate pages or articles listing unlicensed sites

The Gambling Commission will identify affiliate sites and/or articles that recommend gambling websites targeting specific consumer groups, for instance, “best UK casinos not on GAMSTOP”, by checking for key words on web pages and identifying the presence of outgoing affiliate links.

Extract links to unlicensed gambling sites and obtain web traffic data

Unlicensed sites that are linked from affiliate pages and/or articles will be reviewed to determine whether they are blocked to GB customers. Under the current methodology, the Gambling Commission is able to flag sites that are blocked immediately upon opening but not sites that are blocked upon account registration. Web traffic and average visit duration data is obtained for each of the unlicensed sites using Similarweb, which is a digital intelligence platform that allows access to estimated web traffic data.

Combine web traffic data with research data to estimate spend on the identified sites

To estimate the GGY associated with identified sites, web traffic data will be combined with an estimate of average consumer spending behaviour, the latter of which will be based on data from the Gambling Commission’s Patterns of Play research.

The intended output of the above work will be twofold: (a) a dashboard of unlicensed operators ranked according to current usage by GB consumers, which can be used by enforcement teams to prioritise and target disruption activity; and (b) to allow the Gambling Commission to estimate the likely scale of the unlicensed market for GB consumers.

Limitations

The Gambling Commission acknowledges within the Methodology Paper, that its methodology cannot capture the whole online unlicensed market. For instance, GB traffic from consumers using a VPN.

Other assumptions and limitations include:

The assumption that gambling behaviour on unlicensed sites is the same as on licensed sites;
GGY estimates are based on online slots play only, as it is assumed that a significant proportion of unlicensed gambling activity is slots;
Unlicensed sites are included in the GGY estimate regardless of the average visit duration, including very short average visit durations which could indicate visits where no money is spent or very long durations which could indicate periods of inactivity; and
Not all consumer motivations are currently included in the core search terms.

Next steps

The Gambling Commission has called on the industry to report suspicious activity to the Gambling Commission’s intelligence team at [email protected] or, alternatively, through the following confidential portal: Tell us something in confidence.

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions regarding unlicensed gambling in GB, your due diligence obligations and how to actively monitor your business relationships, or if you would like assistance reporting a suspicion to, or responding to an information request from, the Gambling Commission.

31Oct

Gambling Commission Annual Report 2023-2024

31st October 2024 Ting Fung 187

The Gambling Commission’s latest Annual report and accounts (the “Annual Report”) for the reporting period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 (the “Period”) was published on 17 October 2024. Key focuses during the Period include the implementation of the Gambling Act Review and the Gambling Commission’s award of the Fourth National Lottery Licence, which led to the first ever change of licensee in the history of the National Lottery.

Performance report

The Annual Report contains a performance report in which the Gambling Commission provides a detailed overview of its delivery during the Period against the five strategic objectives from its 2021-2024 Corporate Strategy. We have summarised some key information from this performance report below, along with other highlights from the Annual Report.

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling

Following the publication of the Gambling Act Review White Paper, there were a number of consultations in the Period in relation to proposed changes to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (“LCCP”) and the Remote gambling and software technical standards. Proposals included: (a) improving consumer choice on direct marketing; (b) strengthening age verification on premises; and (c) reviewing socially responsible incentives to ensure incentives such as free bets and bonuses do not encourage excessive or harmful gambling. The issue that proved most controversial related to financial risk checks, with the Gambling Commission reiterating in the Annual Report that this a complex area as it aims to “protect vulnerable people from harm whilst respecting the freedom of others to gamble freely”. Therefore “ committed to a step-by-step approach to implementation and a pilot on the enhanced financial risk assessments to test the process and impacts on consumers.”

The Gambling Commission sets out the several changes it made to the LCCP during the Period including by: (a) setting out its approach to ‘vulnerability’; (b) extending the requirement to participate in GAMSTOP to all gambling licensees that make or accept bets by telephone and email; and (c) adding an additional reportable event that requires all gambling licensees to inform it when they become aware that a person who has gambled with them has died by suicide.

Gambling Commission publications in the Period aimed at improving the breadth and quality of data included:

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Statistics on gambling participation – Annual report Year 1 (2023): Official statistics (See Other highlights below for further detail);
Evidence Gaps and Priorities 2023-2026 (July 2023); and
Young People and Gambling Report (November 2023).

2. A fairer market and more informed consumers

The Gambling Commission points out that it has reviewed its approach to tackling non–compliant terms and practices, including the processing of customer withdrawals. Delays to the withdrawal of funds from accounts, (more than 2,400 complaints during 2023) remained the primary consumer complaint during the Period. The Gambling Commission has previously worked with the Competition and Markets Authority and updated the LCCP to clarify licensees’ responsibilities, including the requirement that licensees do not seek to verify information at the point of withdrawal that they had the opportunity to do earlier in the process. In the Annual Report the Gambling Commission reiterates that “Where such practices are identified, we will continue to hold licensees to account.” Please see our blog Account withdrawals: The mask operators cannot hide behind for more information.

In addition to initial outputs from the Consumer Voice research programme, the Gambling Commission has completed 58 website reviews, with 51 websites found to be either complaint or to have minor issues relating to things such as promotional bonus offer terms. The remaining websites reviewed raised more significant issues requiring further investigation and/or escalation.

Keeping crime out of gambling

The Gambling Commission explains that it has continued to work with partners to undertake intelligence-led disruption and enforcement initiatives to contribute to a reduction in crime associated with gambling, stating that “our collection, analysis and sharing of intelligence with other regulators and agencies remains a cornerstone of our work.” It has held discussions with search engine providers to discuss referrals and further action on search results and talks are ongoing to improve its ability to disrupt unlicensed operators.

Key figures in the Period in this area include:

384 cease and desist and disruption notices were issued to unlicensed operators resulting in 136 website restrictions through suspension or IP blocking; and
122 compliance assessments of online and land-based operators, 77 website reviews and 182 security audits were conducted.

In addition, from April 2023, the Gambling Commission also assumed responsibility for collecting the Economic Crime Levy from licensed casino operators.

Optimising returns to good causes from the National Lottery

Returns to good causes which were derived from a combination of the Third and Fourth Licence period totalled £1.7 billion at the end of the financial year. The Period saw the transition of the National Lottery licence from Camelot to Allwyn, who were formally granted the Fourth Licence to operate the National Lottery on 1 February 2024. Subject to the resolution of the legal challenges this licence will run for 10 years.

Key changes to the Fourth Licence include:

A new ‘Incentive Mechanism’ so that all National Lottery products will now make returns to good causes at the same level (meaning Allwyn will only see profits rise if returns to good causes increase); and
A move to an outcomes-based approach that will give Allwyn greater responsibility to fulfil its obligations, while retaining the Gambling Commission’s powers to intervene if they fail to do so.

Improving gambling regulation

The Gambling Commission recognises the need for an upgrade to existing systems in order to “serve the needs of the business more efficiently” and expects this to be completed during 2024 to 2025. Its requirement that licensees send returns quarterly is intended to ensure the information it receives is relevant and timely, and enables it to identify issues arising as early as possible.

Further information on the Gambling Commission’s plans for gambling regulation are set out in its Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027 published on 8 April 2024, with commitments to be detailed in annual business plans and outcomes published in future annual reports.

Other highlights

Gambling Commission research

In respect of other datasets referred to in the Annual Report, the Gambling Commission’s Cost of Living (2023) research found that:

“1 in 5 gamblers who reported changes in their gambling behaviour (either increased or decreased) said this was entirely due to increased cost of living. In addition, 8.5 per cent of gamblers reported using gambling to supplement their income on a regular basis.”

The Gambling Commission therefore continues to stress the need for operator vigilance during these times of heightened consumer vulnerability.

Gambling Survey for Great Britain

In respect of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (“GSGB”), which focuses on the types of gambling activities that people take part in and the reasons why people gamble, the Annual Report emphasises that because the GSGB is a new survey, it does mean that it cannot compare GSGB data to data from previous alternative surveys and that, with time, the data collected will grow and enable it to look at trends and comparisons across this data source.

Enforcement?

The Annual Report notes that in 2023 – 2024, enforcement action led to the suspension of one operating licence and £13.4 million in fines or regulatory settlements: a reduction on the previous year. The Gambling Commission acknowledges that it has seen a significant increase in compliance from larger operators at the point of their assessment, with the rate of operators achieving compliant first-time outcomes doubling and the rate for the largest operators almost trebling in the past two years.

In terms of other operational activities, 133 operator licenses were processed and 122 compliance assessments were conducted for online and land-based operators in the Period.

Industry figures and statistics

Gross Gambling Yield (“GGY”) for the British gambling industry in 2022-2023 was £15.1 billion (a 6.8% increase when compared to April 2021 – March 2022) and GGY for the British remote and/or online sector was £6.5 billion in 2022 – 2023 (a 2.8% increase when compared to April 2021 to March 2022).

For the Period, the Gambling Commission’s fee income comprised:

£1.21 million from operator applications (down from £2.05 million in 2022-2023)
£0.75 million from personal licence fees (down from £0.76 million in 2022-2023)
£23.86 million from operator annual licence fees (up from £22.89 million in 2022-2023)
£0.36 million from miscellaneous sources (down from £0.39 million in 2022-2023)

In terms of expenditure, gambling regulation costs in the Period totalled £21.07 million (up from £19.33 million in 2022-2023), and National Lottery functions accounted for £19.34 million (down from £21.58 million in 2022-2023), of which £17.03 million was spent on the National Lottery Fourth Licence competition. Overall, the Gambling Commission’s table of year-on-year expenditure for gambling and National Lottery regulation shows an increase in operational costs since 2019-2020.

What’s next?

In the Foreword of the Annual Report, Gambling Commission Chair, Marcus Boyle and its Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Rhodes, both agree that:

“The next few years provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make gambling safer, fairer and crime free.”

The Gambling Commission’s next steps are set out in its Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027. For further details on the Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027, see the previous blog from Gemma Boore.

18Oct

Gemma Boore to moderate direct marketing roundtable at EGR London Summit during Safer Gambling Week

18th October 2024 Harris Hagan 256

Senior Associate, Gemma Boore will be co-hosting a roundtable discussion at the EGR London Summit 2024, which takes place next week on 23 October 2024 at etc.venues Chancery Lane.

Gemma, alongside co-host David Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer at QiH Group, will moderate the roundtable, Direct marketing practice: striking the right balance for brand awareness and customer choice, during which attendees will share their perspectives on gambling marketing and advertising.

Gemma will share her legal perspective on the unique challenges faced by the gambling industry when marketing their brands. For example, the Gambling Commission’s proposals regarding direct marketing and cross-selling, which Gemma previously discussed in her blog: White Paper Series: Direct marketing and cross-selling in the crossfire. Further information and discussion regarding the Gambling Commission’s implementation of these proposals (which will come into force on 1 May 2025) can be found in our subsequent blog: Gambling Commission publishes Summer 2023 Consultation Response and Betting & Gaming Council announces New Industry Voluntary Code.

The EGR London Summit 2024 is an exclusive industry event and includes a full agenda of discussions throughout the day focussing on safer gambling strategies and broader regulatory updates.

For more information and to apply to attend, visit the EGR London Summit website.

17Oct

Harris Hagan retains top tier rankings in 2025 Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500

17th October 2024 Harris Hagan 163

We are delighted to announce that Harris Hagan has again been ranked in the top tier in both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 for 2025.

Chambers and Partners

Harris Hagan has been ranked in Band 1 for Gaming for the 21^st consecutive year.

“The team is first-rate and has extensive experience in the sector. We have full confidence in the ability of the Harris Hagan team to provide us with first-class service.”

Partners John Hagan and Bahar Alaeddini continue to be recognised in Band 1 and Partner David Whyte has been recognised in Band 3. Consultant Hilary Stewart-Jones is ranked as a Senior Statesperson and Senior Associate Gemma Boore together with Associate Francesca Burnett-Hall, continue to be recognised as Associates to Watch.

Together our lawyers constitute 6 of the 25 gaming lawyers recognised in the directory, befitting our status as a leading specialist gambling law firm. We were also invited by Chambers to write the introduction to the practice area.

We received many positive testimonials, including:

“Every lawyer I have dealt with at the firm is excellent; they know exactly what is going on in the market. This means they are able to provide thorough but also commercial and pragmatic advice.”

“John Hagan is first-class. He is one of the most experienced and impressive gaming lawyers.”

“Bahar has deep relationships in the industry and an ability to solve complex gaming issues in a client-friendly way. She is second to none in that regard.”

“David is extremely knowledgeable of the gambling industry. He is able to provide very thorough advice, whilst also being very direct, pragmatic and to the point.”

“Hilary’s experience of the market is invaluable.”

“Gemma has done excellent work and we would welcome any opportunity to continue working with Gemma in the future.”

“Francesca is very capable, always available and very prompt with every task.”

The Legal 500

Harris Hagan continues to be ranked as Tier 1 for Gaming and Betting in the UK.

“Harris Hagan is, by some margin, the leading specialist firm in the U.K. gaming industry. Their team has unrivalled expertise in gaming regulation and licensing.”

Managing Partner John Hagan, alongside Consultant Hilary Stewart-Jones continue to be listed in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, Partner Bahar Alaeddini is listed as a Leading Partner, and Partner David Whyte is listed as a Next Generation Partner. Senior Associate Jessica Wilson is also recognised as a Leading Associate.

We received many positive testimonials, including:

“They have seen it all, and are able to bring their deep experience and deep industry knowledge and connection to bear to provide high quality, pragmatic advice.”

“Their ability to understand our industry in-depth makes them stand out from the rest. They are so invested in understanding all aspects that it enhances the knowledge and guidance they provide.”

“John Hagan is the most prominent U.K. gaming lawyer and is a widely known and respected figure in our industry.”

“‘Friendly, approachable, advice and guidance is not always done in legal jargon, they have a great way of describing a situation in layman’s terms. David Whyte covers all these areas with excellence.”

We would like to thank all of our clients to whom we are incredibly grateful for your continuing instructions and for helping us achieve these impressive rankings.

08Oct

Reminder: Changes to specified management offices come into force on 29 November 2024

8th October 2024 Chris Biggs 159

Licensees are reminded that on 29 November 2024, the Gambling Commission will update licence condition (“LC”) 1.2.1 of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (“LCCP”) to clarify and extend the roles captured as ‘specified management offices’ (“SMOs”) under this requirement. Licensees impacted by this change should take action now to ensure relevant individuals are granted personal management licences (“PMLs”) before the new requirements come into effect.

Background

Earlier this year, the Gambling Commission published its response to the Summer 2023 consultation (“Consultation Response”) in which it confirmed that it would proceed with changes to the LCCP to clarify and extend the roles captured as SMOs, which from 29 November 2024 will include:

Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors or equivalent positions;
Chairs of Boards – unless that person only holds the position on a transient and short-term basis for individual meetings; and
Those responsible for AML and CTF, including the Money Laundering Reporting Officer and Nominated Officer.

For further background and discussion please see our previous blogs: White Paper Series: Transforming corporate culture by “driving personal accountability and responsibility” for lookers-on seeing most of the game? and Gambling Commission publishes Summer 2023 Consultation Response and Betting & Gaming Council announces New Industry Voluntary Code.

New Requirement

From 29 November 2024, LC 1.2.1 (2) will read:

1.2.1 (2). The specified management offices are those offices (whether or not held by a director in the case of a licensee which is a company, a partner in the case of a licensee which is a partnership or an officer of the association in the case of a licensee which is an unincorporated association) the occupier of which is by virtue of the terms of their appointment responsible for:

a) the overall management and direction of the licensee’s business or affairs (this is likely to be the Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director or equivalent).

b) chairing the Board (where the licensee has such a body) where that appointment is held for a fixed or indeterminate term of office, unless:

1. 1. 1. the position is held only on a transient and short-term basis for individual meetings; and
    2. the licensee retains evidence in support of point 1.

….

i) the licensee’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing function as head of that function his is likely to include the following:

a) for holders of casino licences, the person responsible for compliance with the relevant regulations (and appointed in accordance with those regulations); and the person responsible for submission of reports of known or suspected money laundering or terrorist financing activity under the relevant legislation (and appointed in accordance with the relevant regulations)

b) for holders of licences other than casino licences, where an individual has been appointed to submit reports of known or suspected money laundering or terrorist financing activity under the relevant legislation, that individual.

As regular readers will be aware, the Gambling Commission consulted on the proposal that the Board Chair be required to hold a PML “to ensure that those responsible for scrutiny, strategy and leadership at the most senior level within the organisation”. This means that, where licensees sit within corporate groups, the obligation to hold a PML could be extended to the Board Chair of the top parent company, and CEOs or Directors of parent companies, due to the level of influence those individuals are able to exercise over the licensee. It is therefore important that licensees with extended group structures: (1) consider which individuals within their wider group may be impacted by the new requirement so any necessary PML applications can be made as soon as possible; and (2) if there is uncertainty, proactively contact the Gambling Commission for clarification in advance of the requirements coming into effect.

Next Steps

The changes come into force on 29 November 2024, meaning PML applications for these positions must have been granted before this date. On the basis that it can take eight weeks for the Gambling Commission to process a PML application (assuming there are no issues with the application), PML applications need to be submitted as soon as possible. If affected individuals do not hold a PML before 29 November 2024, the licensee will be in breach of LC 1.2.1 (2).

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about PMLs, if you would like assistance with PML applications, or if you are interested in our PML training services.

02Oct

Global Gaming Expo 2024: Bahar Alaeddini to moderate a stellar panel of regulators

2nd October 2024 Harris Hagan 157

From 7-10 October 2024, the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will make its grand return to The Venetian Expo.

In partnership with the International Association of Gaming Advisors (“IAGA”), it will host the panel Where Sports Betting’s Growth Sits on the Regulatory Agenda, which will be moderated by IAGA General Counsel and Harris Hagan Partner, Bahar Alaeddini.

The panel will examine the rapidly expanding US-based betting landscape after the pivotal overturn of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act 1992 by the US Supreme Court, and feature insights from the following stellar panel of regulators:

Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive, British Gambling Commission
Dennis Mullen, General Counsel, Indiana Gaming Commission
Kirk Hendrick, Chairman, Nevada Gaming Control Board
Marcus Fruchter, Administrator (Executive Director), Illinois Gaming Board

Please see the below details for your calendar:

Date: Monday 7 October 2024

Time: 09:00 – 09:50 PST

Location: Bellini 2101, The Venetian Expo

Over the course of the conference, IAGA will also be hosting a wide range of sessions focused on other key issues facing global gaming.

Bahar will be attending G2E with John Hagan. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a meeting.

30Sep

Harris Hagan promotes Jessica Wilson to Senior Associate

30th September 2024 Harris Hagan 176

Harris Hagan is delighted to announce that Jessica Wilson will be promoted to Senior Associate with effect from 1 October 2024.

Jessica has been a tremendous asset to the firm since joining as a newly qualified solicitor in 2019, working on the specialist due diligence and licensing aspects of some of the largest M&A transactions in the gambling sector in recent years, as well as advising our clients generally on gambling law and regulatory matters.

We congratulate Jessica on her achievement and we are confident that she will contribute enormously to the continued success of the firm.

09Sep

Harris Hagan speaks at the Backing The Punt conference

9th September 2024 Harris Hagan 173

Harris Hagan is delighted to join the leading Australian gambling law firm Senet, virtually, for their two-day conference, Backing the Punt. The conference will focus on the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the betting and racing industry in Australia.

The event will take place on 11-12 September 2024 at the RACV City Club & Conference Centre in Melbourne. Partner, Bahar Alaeddini, will be joining virtually on 11 September 2024 to speak on the panel, International showcase – what are the trends and developments in international wagering, racing and sports betting?.

The panel will be moderated by Julian Hoskins, Principal at Senet, and the other panellists will include:

Ben Haden, Director of Research and Statistics at the British Gambling Commission
Scott Scherer, Shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Joseph Borg, Partner, WH Partners

For full details and tickets, see Senet’s website.