UK Gambling Commission Shares Powers with Local Councils

Ian Angus, the Director of Policy at the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), has noted that the industry is currently experiencing the biggest shift. The central theme of Ian’s speech at the Institute of Licensing Gambling Conference was about decentralisation of licensing powers and giving more rights to local authorities.

Key Takeaways

• The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) reported that 48% of adults were involved in a pastime in the previous month. 38% of respondents prefer online activity, while 29% participate in it in person.
• Only 2.7% interviewees faced negative consequences of gambling (these got an 8+ score according to the Problem Gaming Survey Index (PGSI)).
• Increased gambling duties are expected to bring £26 million to the country’s budget to be later used for tackling the black market.
• iGaming operators have to remove gaming equipment that is considered non-compliant according to the new Commission standards.

How Councils Will Use GIAs for Licensing?

The introduction of Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs) by the country’s officials was the key focus of the speech. With this mechanism, municipalities will gain the power to assess if new establishments in a designated area cause risks. It totally changes the way local councils issue licenses.

Earlier, the workflow was different: the default position of the councils was neutral and even leaned towards granting a license. The Presumption of Rejection modifies the logic:

1. The council applies GIA principles to study the state of gambling in its area, like the number of betting venues.
2. The findings are included into the Statement of Principles, the official policy document.
3. Relying on the official rulebook, the council refuses to grant any new license in this area.

District-level regulators no longer need to find reasons to reject the application. The businesses, in their turn, have to assert that they comply with the licensing objectives and won’t do harm to the community.

Reasons for Decentralising Powers

The partnership of the UKGC, the nation-scale regulator and the local councils is a necessity. Angus outlined the following reasons for it in his speech:

• The UKGC is a large body that has no resources to monitor the state of gambling in every borough.
• Councils share firsthand data and observations on what’s happening in every borough.
• The real evidence from local bodies will result in better licensing decisions.

UKGC’s decision to join forces with local authorities is another step towards the core mission – to achieve fairness in gambling, make this entertainment safe, and prevent gambling-related crime. No matter what further changes will happen in the world, achieving these goals will be a core priority for regulators.