and I am looking forward to steering the Commission and the new merged body through the next five years with its reputation established as a proportionate and effective independent regulator. I am learning rapidly about the detail involved in regulating gambling and was very interested to hear directly from the experienced voices in the bingo industry at the Bingo Association AGM.


Since the introduction of the Gambling Commission licensing and regulatory costs for the industry have gone up by a factor of 12. How do you measure the effectiveness of the new Commission against the old Gaming Board? My initial response is to remind readers that regulation under the Gaming Board was under different legislation that led to a very different approach by the regulator. Under the 2005 Gambling Act, Parliament decided that the Commission must recover its costs entirely from the operators it licences while introducing an approach that is less prescriptive than previously and sufficiently flexible to accommodate both social and technological changes.


Over our first three and half years as the regulator it has become clear that the majority of gambling businesses want to be compliant. So although our compliance programme continues to find areas for improvement, we are now working harder than ever to bear down on those operating outside the rules. That means focusing the licence fee income we receive on the minority of questionable licensed operators and on illegal activity that impact legitimate businesses and puts the general public at risk. We expect to commence a joint consultation with DCMS on potential minor adjustments to our fees later this year to ensure that fee levels continue to reflect the work we need to do to ensure compliance with the licensing objectives. It is too early to set out the timetable or what the final outcome will be. But, the focus for our work is now changing and this will clearly be reflected in any adjustments to the fee structure.


20


Global Gambling Report 2011


GBGC provides top flight consultancy services, data and publications for the global gambling industry. We look at all segments from the traditional land based business of casino, bingo, sports betting and lotteries to the new vibrant and rapidly growing online gambling business.


GBGC has helped governments develop their policy toward gambling, companies with their corporate strategies, investment banks and private equity with their due diligence


and served some of the major consultancies with the flow of data about the gambling business.


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