In his current monthly ‘Licensing Expert’ article for SBC News, entitled ‘Musings on a Pending White Paper’ (that you can download below), David Clifton has analysed the clues that have emanated from both UK Government Ministers and the Gambling Commission with regard to the content of the Gambling Act Review White Paper that it is expected will be published next month.

In his article, David addresses the following questions:

• Will there be some fundamental changes proposed in the White Paper?
• Will all of those changes require legislative change?
• Can we expect to see a focus on more effective use of data?
• What about affordability?
• Will enhanced customer interaction requirements be set out in the White Paper
• What about the Single Customer View?
• So where will be the encouraging news for UK licensed operators?

You can read on this website about the following other gambling regulatory developments over the last month or so:

Gambling Commission

• More on the new customer interaction requirements
• Other points to note from the UKGC’s Interim Business Plan 2022 to 2023
• Sarah Gardner: International Legislators’ Agenda speech
• Other topics covered in Andrew Rhodes’ WRB speech
• UKGC publishes further guidelines regarding Russian sanctions
• UKGC issues Change of Corporate Control reminder

Enforcement action

• Sky Betting & Gaming incurs £1.17million fine for sending promotional emails to self-excluded and unsubscribed customers
• UKGC fines 888 £9.4 million for AML and Social Responsibility failings
• Camelot fined £3.15million for Third National Lottery Licence breaches

AML/Sanctions etc

• All UKGC licensed gambling operators must note Russian sanctions update
• HM Treasury publishes advisory notice: Money laundering & terrorist financing in high-risk third countries
• FATF statement on the crisis in Ukraine

Safer gambling etc

• Affordability set to become an even greater cause for regulatory concern within the next few months
• So what is the true level of gambling harms in Great Britain?
• The SMF repeats its call for a statutory gambling levy
• Further focus on women’s experience of gambling

Gambling advertising

• Gambling Advertising – not just ‘How is it regulated?’ but also ‘How will it be regulated in future
• New ‘tough’ UK gambling advertising rules to better protect under-18s take effect from 1 October 2022

 BGC

• BGC again warns of the unsafe, unregulated online gambling black market threat
• BGC CEO warns that intrusive Gambling Review proposals could have dire consequences for horseracing
• BGC calls on the UK Government to ‘treat betting like booze – not like tobacco’

 National Lottery

• UK Gambling Commission names Allwyn Entertainment as Preferred Applicant for the 4th National Lottery licence
• Anticipated judicial challenge to the 4th National Lottery Licence competition process launched by Camelot