Following an extensive consultation the Gambling Commission has written to all licensees giving three months notice of changes to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) coming into effect on 1 January 2009.
Each operator will also receive a copy of the full LCCP document alongside a letter advising them of the changes. Before 1 January 2009 all licensees will receive a new individual licence which will replace their existing one and detail the licence conditions and codes of practice that apply specifically to their business.
In addition, each personal licence holder will receive a letter setting out the changes to the three general licence conditions applicable to personal licence holders.
The principal changes to the LCCP which take effect on 1 January are:
- clearer requirements for operators to ensure customers know when they are participating in Gambling Commission regulated gambling; often websites include gambling products regulated in different jurisdictions and the change will ensure that customers are aware of this
- stronger measures to ensure remote licensees identify individual customers by linking their accounts, enabling better implementation of self-exclusion requirements and anti-money laundering requirements
- focusing the key events that operating licence holders must report to the Commission on potential threats to the integrity of licensed businesses
- a requirement for personal licence holders to report certain key events to the Commission to maintain our knowledge about key people in the industry
- changes to other conditions and codes to improve the clarity, consistency of language and layout of LCCP
Director of Policy and Communications, Beryl Brown commented:
"The revisions to LCCP sharpen the focus on social responsibility and benefit from the first year of experience in operating under the regulatory regime.
"Operators have a full three month period to prepare for these new rules taking effect on 1 January 2009."
The revised version of LCCP, entitled Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice October 2008 has been published on the Commission’s website alongside a responses document which explains the thinking behind the changes. The Commission has undertaken a full public consultation on the changes including workshops with key stakeholders.
Notes to editors
The Gambling Commission
- The Gambling Commission (the Commission) regulates gambling in the public interest. It does so by keeping crime out of gambling, by ensuring that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and by protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. The Commission also provides independent advice to government on gambling in Britain.
- The Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating all gambling in Great Britain other than the National Lottery and spread betting, which are the responsibility of the National Lottery Commission and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) respectively.
- Licence conditions set out matters that the operator must comply with in order to keep their licence; codes of practice concern the manner in which facilities for gambling are provided. Some codes of practice are designated ‘social responsibility’ codes and these have equal importance to licence conditions.
- Details of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice along with the original consultation document and the responses can be found on the Gambling Commission website.
- A copy of the letters sent to personal and operating licence holders is also attached.
Further information
Further information is available from the Commission's website.
Contact John Travers on (0121) 230 6700, (07852) 124624 or communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
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