British Gambling Commission sets out new licensing process

The British regulator is doing away with its use of dedicated account managers.

UK.- The British Gambling Commission has announced changes in its licensing processes, doing away with the current dedicated account manager model. The changes mean that operators will no longer have specific individual contact when they apply for a licence.

The licensing department will be divided into four sub-groups, each responsible for different types of work. The regulator said it was making the changes to its working practices in order to make the best use of its resources. It said it hoped the changes will allow it to process applications more quickly. It also hopes to be able to resolve queries more efficiently and effectively.

New Gambling Commission licensing groups

The four new licensing sub-groups will each be responsible for different areas of work. The groups are as follows:

1. The Operating Licence New Group – responsible for processing applications for new operator licences;
2. The Change of Corporate Control Group – responsible for processing applications relating to changes of ownership and control for existing operators;
3. The Operating Licence Vary Group – responsible for processing applications relating to changes to existing operator licences, and
4. The Personal Licence group – responsible for processing all applications relating to personal licences.

The way in which applications themselves should be submitted to the regulator has not changed. Where an online service exists, applications must be made online. For applications where an online service does not exist, these must be made by email. Applications can no longer be submitted by post.

Once an application has been allocated to a caseworker, operators will receive their contact details and an estimated timescale for determination. The caseworker will advise the operator if the timescale changes.

The overhaul of the way licences are processed comes as the Gambling Commission continues to await the result of the British government’s review of gambling legislation. The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport continues to insist that its gambling white paper will be published “soon”. The review has lasted more than 18 months.

The government was widely expected to propose maximum stake limits for online casino gaming, a ban on gambling sponsorship in sports and a mandatory levy on gambling operators. However, it has been reported that those two later proposals have been dropped. Other changes expected include a requirement for operators to share data to a single customer view and new measures on affordability.

Meanwhile, the Gambling Commission has published guidance on its new consumer protection requirements due to come into force on September 12. The guidance aims to ensure that online gaming operators are clear on what they need to do to meet the new requirements, which were announced in April.

Operators will now have to bring in automated processes to record indicators of gambling harm and will need to be able to provide evidence of their evaluations and customer interactions to the regulator as part of routine casework. They must prevent marketing to at-risk players and must “take action in a timely manner”, elevating interactions and engaging with customers.

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