The 2005 Gambling Act, which came into force on September 1 last year, requires certain gambling industry executives to apply for a Personal Management Licence. In accordance with the Act, holders of these licences can be subject to criminal sanctions for specific offences, as well as to regulatory sanctions if the gambling operator is found to be in breach of its operating licence conditions.

Industry executives are also now subject to review and investigation by the Gambling Commission in connection with the performance of his or her responsibilities as a personal licence holder.

Based on early feedback from Gambling Commission inspection visits conducted since September, two things are becoming increasingly clear.

Firstly, the Commission’s inspectors are taking seriously the view that successful compliance starts at the top, i.e. at board and senior management level.

Executives at this level are expected to show solid working knowledge of the principal objectives of the 2005 Gambling Act, and how they relate to compliance programs and strategies within their own operation.

Executives must be able to demonstrate their commitment to regulatory compliance, and remain engaged in the successful execution of these programs and strategies throughout their organisation.

Secondly, effective demonstration of this commitment at a senior level will result in the operator being assigned a lower risk assessment by the inspectors. This will in turn significantly reduce the time and effort that would otherwise need to be diverted to managing extensive onsite inspection visits.

The Gambling Commission believes training and awareness is at the heart of the compliance process.
 
GamblingCompliance’s Executive Briefing will provide senior UK gambling executives with the necessary background knowledge to be able to understand their responsibilities and liabilities under the new Gambling Act. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the personal and corporate compliance structure established by the 2005 Act, and obtain crucial information which will enable them to set up and monitor an efficient and cost-effective compliance regime.

The exclusive one-day conference, to be held at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday February 27, also provides an opportunity for compliance, as an issue, to be debated at a high level amongst a group of industry peers.

The event is being headlined by some of the most senior compliance executives in the industry, including representatives from Ladbrokes and London Clubs International. The day’s series of seminars will also feature speakers from leading law firms and from the Gambling Commission itself.

For further details of the event please visit the GamblingCompliance.com website.