UK Gambling Commission Gearing Up

Published: Friday, December 30, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

UK GAMBLING COMMISSION GEARING UP

New appointments at future regulator of Brit land and internet gambling

The UK Gambling Commission has announced a number of senior appointments.

Hazel Canter will join in the New Year as Director of Licensing and Compliance. She will oversee teams carrying out the licensing of gambling operators and personnel and ensuring industry compliance with the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005. She previously helped set up Ofcom, where she has been the Partner in charge of Licensing since 2003.

Andrew Lyman will join at the same time as Head of Enforcement. He will establish a new enforcement team within the Commission to take action against illegal gambling; to prosecute Gambling Act offences, pursuing regulatory action where necessary against licensed operators and individuals; and to maintain close working relationships with the police and other enforcement agencies. A qualified solicitor, Andrew is currently with the Financial Services Authority's Enforcement Division.

Bill Butler will be joining the Commission in February 2006 as Director of Corporate Services, heading up the Finance, HR and IT departments. Bill's current role is as Head of Finance at the Healthcare Commission, where he is responsible for establishing and implementing all aspects of financial strategy and management, including negotiating funding with government and establishing charging regimes.

Lynne Duffill will also join in February, as Head of Human Resources. She will lead a major recruitment campaign as the Commission expands its staff from a pool of 40 staff currently based in London, to over 250 head office and field staff in Birmingham by the time it is fully up and running. She is currently Head of HR at Advantage West Midlands.

Announcing the new appointments, Chief Executive Jenny Williams said: "This is an extremely exciting time for the Gambling Commission. Our challenge is to establish the new organisation in Birmingham virtually from scratch: recruit staff, implement new processes and IT systems and develop new policies and working practices in time for the Gambling Act 2005 to be brought fully into effect by the end of 2007.

"I'm delighted to have such a strong executive team to help lead this work. Joining the Commission right at the outset offers a rare opportunity to help design a major new public sector organisation, establish productive relations with all of its stakeholders, and play a major part in moulding its culture and ethos."

The Gambling Commission has taken over the role previously played by the Gaming Board for in regulating casinos, bingo, gaming machines and lotteries. In addition, it will have responsibility for regulating betting and remote gambling. It will set new conditions under which licences are granted to gambling operators and staff and issue new codes of practice, and will have significant new legal powers to monitor the industry and to prosecute illegal gambling. It will also advise central and local government on issues related to gambling.

The Commission's core objectives as a regulator are to keep crime out, to ensure that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and to protect children and vulnerable people.

The announcements follow the appointment in October of Phillip Brear as Director of Operations. Further appointments will be made over the coming months.