The UK Gambling Commission has unveiled a new enforcement strategy which will be used to tackle operators who breach gambling regulations.

The new strategy, which came into force on 5 July, follows extensive consultation amongst stakeholders.

Key changes include:

• Changes to the Commission’s statement on financial penalties including introducing higher penalties for breaches, particularly where it sees systemic and repeated failings
• Putting all regulatory tools, including licence review (both of the operator and personal management licences), on an equal footing by removing the current bias in favour of settlement*
• Using time-limited discounts to create better incentives for early settlement.

Sarah Harrison, Commission Chief Executive, said: ‘We will use the full range of enforcement powers to ensure operators put customers first and raise standards.

‘The industry can be assured that we will use our powers in a targeted way, and consumers and the public can be assured we will take robust and effective action when gambling companies don’t meet their obligations.’

*A regulatory settlement is a resolution between the Commission and an operator in cases where concerns have been raised about that operator. In these instances, the Commission and the operator agree on a course of action which meets the Commission’s regulatory objectives, without having to use the Commission’s regulatory powers. This contrasts with the Commission using its powers to impose a statutory sanction following a licence review.