ALDERNEY EGAMBLING’S SUSAN O’LEARY
representing licensees and operators, I knew how practical and commercially minded the AGCC were to licensees’ needs. I saw first-hand how they would bend over backwards to help operators grow, develop and succeed. I thought that they undersold themselves massively as they did not highlight how flexible they were. I don’t know whether they felt this was not becoming of a regulator or not; I, however, knew it was an invaluable asset and should be shouted from the rooftops. The other two things to shout about were how their existing regime covers all types of betting and gambling, as such, for any new fad or craze that is introduced, other regulators must draft some sort of legislation to cover it. Alderney’s framework already permits it through a risk-based assessment of the type of egambling and the risks mitigated for the player in a document called the internal control systems manual, a document that is unique to the AGCC and is such a great instruction manual of sorts for operators as it adds a framework to their business. The other thing to shout about is the cost; all duties,
taxes are covered in the licence fee. Other jurisdictions may have lower licence fees but they charge gaming duties, and there are corporation taxes and vat, capital gains taxes and other charges; Alderney has none of these. I knew by this alone I could change how Alderney was perceived in the market.
jurisdictional testing framework is testament to this. Long may this initiative and more continue.
CIO: What are you focused on right now? SOL: We are very proud of our framework and I
want to continue communicating all the advantages of working with us. Aside from our approach to licensing and regulation, there are other benefits to setting up shop in Alderney; we have outstanding commercial attributes, and are fortunate enough to operate in a low-to-zero tax economy. This means operators based out of Alderney find themselves in the most tax-efficient environment to be found anywhere; this is increasingly important as operators look to be as lean as possible in a post Point of Consumption Tax environment. We also have a more than competitive fee structure, with those being licensed in the jurisdiction for the first time benefiting from a 50% reduction in their first year. The regulatory fee includes all taxes and duties paid to Alderney, there are no other hidden duties and charges as paid in other jurisdictions.
CIO: What will the remainder of 2016 into 2017 CIO: Was there anything specific you really
wanted to revamp? SOL: As I had already built up the trust of licensees and operators, I was lucky enough that they would share their views and strategies with me. As such, if an issue is ever raised then I can address it (as they can with their designated relationship managers at the AGCC). Technology is advancing every nano- second so we need to keep up. We don’t want to over-regulate. We only want to put in place necessary requirements that protect the player and indeed let the licensees’ businesses grow and flourish in this sector. Another thing I want to try and improve is the co-operation between regulators. The industry is a bit constricted with regulation at the moment and it is not harmonised. Forward thinking regulators like the Danish gaming authority, the gambling commission of Great Britain and the Isle of Man supervisory authority all work together as much as possible to cut through the red tape. The multi-
involve for you? SOL: We have detailed plans of what we will be doing this year. We will attend and speak at lots of the main conferences but not as many mainstream ones as in past times. I will be targeting new sectors looking to develop their online gambling presence and framework including jurisdictions and visiting operators and service providers alike globally. A key focus in 2017 will also be to continue building on our established network of operators and regulators within Asian, African and South American countries. We are assessing the regulation of social gaming too. Watch this space.
CIO: Where would you like Alderney to be in 24 months?
SOL: I’d like Alderney and the AGCC to continue to be a centre of excellence for online gambling and other technological products and a main player in the regulation of this fast-moving sector. I would like the AGCC to be the “go-to” regulator and licence operators and service providers from all over the world and help network different markets. Ideally Alderney will lead the way in effecting a harmonisation of online gambling standard between jurisdictions. Hand on my heart, the AGCC get gambling; there is no comparison to their knowledge and breadth of experience to others.
DECEMBER 2016 49
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