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Written question asked by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 24 February 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 March 2025. It was answered by Baroness Twycross (Labour) on Thursday, 6 March 2025 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Gambling: Regulation

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the transparency of the Gambling Commission’s enforcement actions, in the light of reports that operators have avoided formal regulatory action through secret settlements; and whether they will take steps to ensure public disclosure of these agreements.

Answer

The Gambling Commission consistently publishes details of its enforcement outcomes on its website. Since 2016/17, over 100 enforcement actions have resulted in more than £206 million in fines and regulatory settlements from gambling operators. In recent years the Gambling Commission’s enforcement activity has increased, which has led to greater indications that the industry is making gambling safer and reducing the possibility of criminal funds entering their businesses.

The Gambling Commission, like most regulators, has a range of different interventions it can make. This includes a threshold below which it will not publicise its interventions. The intention of this special measures process is to incentivise operators into immediate compliance, and to mitigate any risks to customers in the shortest possible timeframe. However, where there are significant ongoing risks and these have not been mitigated appropriately this approach would not be pursued.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL5093
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Disclosure of information Enforcement Gambling Gambling Commission Regulation
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk