We regularly write articles for industry and legal journals & magazines, including commentaries for Online Gambling Lawyer & iGaming Business, a monthly “Licensing Expert” piece for SBC News and a fortnightly page for Pub & Bar and, with their permission, are reproducing them on our website, together with our own news items and reports on topical issues affecting the leisure and gambling industries.

More tightening on the cards for 2019

Comments by David Clifton feature in two articles within the current edition of iGaming Times: “Clifton: More tightening on the cards for 2019” (in which he explains (a) why 2018 has been a transformative year for the UK’s gambling market, marked by a wave of new regulations, record fines, and rising costs for operators and (b) […]

How not to deal with a summary review of your premises licence

In his article for this month’s “legal” page for Pub & Bar magazine entitled “How not to deal with a summary review of your premises licence”, David Clifton advises readers how to avoid the calamitous fate that has befallen Elizabeth Pargetter at Lower Loxley Hall (pictured below). In what must surely be the biggest crisis to have […]

Gambling Commission requires greater transparency for customers

The Gambling Commission has posted on its website a call for greater transparency for customers, specifically in relation to the question “do they know who they’re participating against?” This question arises from the practice of some licensed operators to participate in their own gambling products either directly or indirectly through a Group company. In its posting, the Commission states […]

Major bookmakers volunteer FOBT stake cuts to £2 in Northern Ireland

David Clifton is quoted in a Gambling Compliance article entitled “UK Bookmakers Sidestep Northern Irish PR Drubbing”, commenting on the stated intentions of each of Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power to voluntarily reduce FOBT (category B2 gaming machine) stakes at their betting shops in Northern Ireland from £100 to £2, in line with the reduction of such stakes elsewhere […]

Self-regulation versus Regulation

David Clifton is quoted in an EGR Compliance cover feature article that poses the question: “Can self-regulation realistically become the main governing mechanism for operators’ conduct in the gaming sector, or will regulators always need to be behind the wheel as the industry changes and evolves?”.  The article (that can be downloaded below) raises some interesting points. […]

A summary of recent AML & POCA updates

1  Updated Gambling Commission AML guidance and advice The Gambling Commission has updated (with effect from 1 January 2019, despite it only being drawn to the industry’s attention six days later, on 7 January, in the Commission’s fortnightly e-bulletin) its: guidance for non-remote and remote casinos on The prevention of money laundering and combating the financing […]

Crystal ball gazing into 2019 for the sports betting sector

After a tumultuous 2018, what does 2019 hold in store for the UK sports betting sector? In his New Year Licensing Expert article for SBC News entitled “Crystal ball gazing for 2019”, David Clifton has dusted down his crystal ball and gazed within in order to make his best bets on what the regulatory future may bring for […]

David Clifton to speak in gambling regulation debate at ICE VOX

Clarion Gaming has reformatted the International Casino Conference (“ICC”) and World Regulatory Briefing (“WrB”) to incorporate within the ICE VOX conference series its new HIVE, Boardroom and Counsel formats. ICE VOX will take place between Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 February 2019 at ExCeL London. You can download the ICE VOX agenda and book tickets here. At 10.30am on the first day […]

Videos of EGBA Annual Responsible Gaming Day

On 4 December 2018, the European Gaming & Betting Association (“EGBA”) held its annual Responsible Gaming Day 2018 in the European Parliament, Brussels. The event included panel discussions on: making the EU digital economy work for consumers, responsible gambling tools, and gambling advertising. Speakers included European Commissioner Vera Jourova and MEPs Dita Charanzova (Czech Republic) and Miriam […]

UK casinos – Glancing back and looking forward

This month’s Casino Life features an article by David Clifton entitled “UK casinos – Glancing back and looking forward” in which, as the Editor’s page states, David “glances back at the key issues in the UK gambling industry in 2018 and looks forward to what may yet come in 2019”. You can download the article below. […]