Gambling Commission

Our Executive Director for Policy and Research, Tim Miller, and Director of Compliance, Dan Whitlam, attended the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (Bacta) at their annual convention in London yesterday. Tim spoke to members about the importance of ongoing compliance improvements, and how we at the Commission are working in partnership with industry to continue raising standards in order to protect consumers and keep businesses competitive. An update was also given on the Gambling Act Review, and how the reforms being implemented will ensure fairness and transparency to consumers and - through a range of measures - make gambling safer, fairer and crime free for all. Thank you to BACTA for inviting us to speak again, and for continued, constructive conversations about how we can work together going into the next year.

Our Deputy Chief Executive, Sarah Gardner, and Director of Finance, Helen Gibson were invited to attend the opening of Gordon Moody’s newest residential facility in Redditch, yesterday. Gordon Moody provides residential treatment and support for people recovering from gambling related harm. The event gave us an opportunity to tour the new facilities, meet with staff and listen to the shared stories and lived experiences of alumni on the day. It was also a pleasure to reconnect with CEO Monica Shafaq, and witness the ribbon cutting with Wolverhampton Wanderers legend, Steve Bull. Sarah said: “I'm really grateful to everyone at Gordon Moody for inviting us to join them in to mark the opening of their new residential facility. Hearing from the people who work at Gordon Moody, as well as a number of alumni who have used the treatment services at other Gordon Moody facilities, provided us with insights into the complicated circumstances which we often see in gambling. It also served as an important reminder of how the Commission’s work fits into a much wider landscape and why we must succeed in our regulatory role to keep crime out of gambling, to keep gambling fair and open and to protect children and vulnerable people from harm.” Thank you to Gordon Moody for inviting us to the opening event.

This morning, we were delighted to welcome Eva Echo - public speaker, activist and Guinness World Record holder (*more on that later) - to talk to us about her experiences as a transwoman in light of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which took place yesterday 💬   Speaking to colleagues, Eva talked about her personal journey, from childhood through to her career, and about how experiences of prejudice have shaped her life, and fuelled her ambition to speak up for the trans community in the UK. She also spoke to colleagues about the importance of allyship from employers and employees, in preventing discrimination and transphobic stigmas in the workplace and the job market. In her words "Ally is a noun and a verb". By taking part in allyship in the workplace, and encouraging everyone to be their authentic self, we all benefit. At the Commission, we’re committed through our Diversity and Inclusion strategy, to doing just that.   Thank you, Eva, for taking the time to talk to us, and to our LGBTQIA+ network for arranging such an informative and important discussion 🌈   *Eva amongst her other accomplishments has a Guinness World record for the World’s Largest Full Drum Kit Ensemble!

As a thank you to our colleagues for their work overseeing the National Lottery, we held a small celebration at our offices in honour of the National Lottery’s 30th birthday 🎊   We work exceptionally hard to ensure that the National Lottery continues to protect the interest of players, and maximises returns to good causes, and yesterday, members of our National Lottery license team shared their stories of what the occasion means to them. We also showcased their efforts volunteering for local good causes that had received support from the The National Lottery Community Fund.   julie parker, our National Lottery Senior Assurance and Risk Manager, says "seeing the benefits that Good Causes bring to local communities and charities adds a real sense of purpose to my role." And we were proud to recognise the milestone of £50billion raised by the UK public for good causes up and down the country.   Of course, we couldn’t celebrate a birthday without some cake! 🎂   So, here’s to our Game Changers, and to the next 30 years of the National Lottery! 🤞 #ThanksToYou | #NationalLottery30 | National Lottery Promotions Unit

Happy 30th birthday to the National Lottery! 🎉   Since it began in 1994, over £50 billion has been raised for good causes across all four nations of the United Kingdom, and we’re proud to be a part of it.   Thank you to our colleagues who - through the regulation of the National Lottery License - protect the interest of players and maximise the returns to good causes. Through their hard work, we can ensure community, arts, sports, and heritage projects continue to make a real difference to millions of people nationwide.   To recognise the occasion, here’s a few words from our Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes   #ThanksToYou | #NationalLottery30 | National Lottery Promotions Unit

To celebrate the National Lottery turning 30, colleagues at the Commission took time out last month to visit local community projects in the West Midlands funded by National Lottery Good Causes, to see how the work they do makes a difference and changes lives 👏   We spent time volunteering with Compost Culture – a project dedicated to organically recycling food waste – to learn about organic composting and how surplus food can be turned into the compost that helps grow fresh and nutritious food locally. We also rolled up our sleeves, planting some fresh veg and maintaining the sites that carry out this amazing work. A big thank you to Compost Culture for taking us on, to our colleagues at the Commission for signing up and to the The National Lottery Community Fund for their incredible work over the last three decades that make initiatives like this so successful. #ThanksToYou | #NationalLottery30 | National Lottery Promotions Unit

On Thursday, we held our CEO Briefing at 30 Euston Square in London. This annual event - hosted for the third time - gives us an opportunity to speak face-to-face with CEOs and senior figures from the gambling industry in Great Britain. We also invited legal advisors from the industry to attend for the first time. Our Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes updated representatives on our progress since 2023, and highlighted the key areas of innovation, collaboration and transparency that we're focusing on over the course of the next twelve months. Our Director of Research and Statistics Ben Haden and Head of Statistics Helen Bryce discussed the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, while Director of Major Policy Projects, Helen Rhodes, gave an update on the Gambling Act Review. We’d like to thank Sarah Fox from Department for Culture, Media and Sport for joining our panel, and to everyone for both attending and positively contributing to ongoing dialogue that ensures we can work together in a constrictive and pragmatic way over the next year. To read Andrew's speech from the day, visit our website 💻 https://lnkd.in/eNVrw5Hx

Huge thank you to the Spelinspektionen Communications team for meeting with our Comms and Engagement team this week to share their expertise, knowledge and best practice 🌎 Another example of how we're driven to collaborate, in all areas of regulation, with our international colleagues to build on our work, and tackle common challenges in an increasingly global industry. Tack!

We’re pleased to have supported the work of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) through the provision of information, including betting data, that has resulted in the five year suspension of Mark King for match-fixing. Special recognition and thanks go to colleagues in our Sports Betting Intelligence Unit for continuing to collaborate with sports governing bodies to help keep sports betting fairer, safer and free from crime. To read more about this, including comment from Director of Enforcement John Pierce, visit our website 💻 https://lnkd.in/ejE6Qfy3

As the National Lottery approaches its 30th birthday, we want to say thank you to the Game Changers up and down the country who, with National Lottery funding, provide community, heritage, arts and sports projects that have been changing lives since 1994.   We also want to send a special thank you to our incredible teams who work on the National Lottery, ensuring that the interests of players are protected and returns to good causes are maximised.    Thank you to our Game Changers here at the Commission, and to everyone involved in #NationalLottery30 🎉   #ThanksToYou | National Lottery Promotions Unit