The Gambling Commission has unveiled its new three-year Corporate Strategy, which sets out the Commission’s focus as it continues to protect the public and players from harm. Launched alongside the Commission’s 2021 to 2022 Business Plan, the new Strategy will be delivered through five priority areas:

• protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling: ensuring licence holders minimise the risk of gambling harm to vulnerable groups as part of a coordinated effort to understand factors that influence behaviour; this will be achieved through improving conduct and competence, continuing to evolve the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, building a stronger evidence base, and focusing on preventative and regulatory action;
• a fairer market and more informed consumers: ensuring that products are fair and compliant, whilst also improving information for players and making it simpler for them to find information on operators they are gambling with; this includes making licence holders’ complaints procedures easier to access and understand;
• keeping crime out of gambling: tackling those who offer illegal and unlicensed gambling to consumers in Great Britain, whilst also continuing, alongside partner agencies, to prevent activities which lead to money laundering; the Commission’s work to manage risks around sports betting integrity and event manipulation will also continue to be an important feature in future enforcement work;
• optimising returns to good causes from the National Lottery: ensuring the effective management of the third licence, whilst also concluding the fair and open competition for the fourth licence, ensuring a smooth and effective transition;
• improving gambling regulation: over the past year the organisation has been restructured to ensure effective regulation in the future; the Commission continues to support the Government in its Gambling Act Review whilst also building on work it is already undertaking following recommendations from three key reports in 2020 into gambling regulation; the Commission will work with DCMS to ensure it has the resources to regulate effectively, to ensure employees are continually developed and technology is harnessed to improve systems and processes.

Meanwhile, the Commission’s 2021-22 Business Plan sets out the priorities to accelerate progress in making gambling and safer for the public and players, including those at risk of harm and leisure gamblers. This includes a focus on improving the way the Commission regulates in parallel with other high-profile decisions to be announced later this year, such as the Government’s Gambling Review and a review of the Commission’s fees by DCMS. To read the Commission’s press release in full, click here.