Gambling Commission to put “customers first” with new enforcement strategy
Regulator says it will take “robust and effective action” against operators found to have breached regulations, including stricter financial penalties
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission today pledged to put “customers first” after unveiling a new enforcement strategy designed to tackle operators in breach of gambling regulations.
The enforcement strategy, which goes live today, includes introducing higher penalties for breaches, particularly for operators the regulator deems to have shown systemic and repeated failings.
Other changes include putting all regulatory tools, including licence review, on an equal footing by removing the “bias in favour of settlement”, as well as using time-limited discounts to create incentives for early settlement.
Sarah Harrison, chief executive at the regulator, said: “We will use the full range of enforcement powers to ensure operators put customers first and raise standards.
“The industry can be assured that we will use our powers in a targeted way, and consumers and the public can be assured we will take robust and effective action when gambling companies don’t meet their obligations.”
Today’s announcement follows the launch of a consultation by the regulator earlier this year which was open for 12 weeks and received 21 responses.
Stephen Ketteley, a partner at Wiggin law firm, added: “It would appear from the results of the consultation that the input from the industry has had limited impact on the Commission’s original proposals.
“As such the industry needs to prepare itself for enforcement action were it to fall short and particularly were it fails to heed the lessons it should have learnt from the case histories that are now well publicised and should be right now well understood.”