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Our people

At the Gambling Commission we are committed to the people who work for us. We are a small team and we believe that this should help us understand the issues that affect our employees and develop a positive place to work. 

In the other sections you can read about our culture and the benefits we offer. 

The best way to find out what it is like to work here is to meet the people who already do.  We employ people in a range of roles including licensing, compliance, people and organisational development, policy, enforcement, intelligence, and more. Some of our people have very specialist skills and are experts in their particular field of gambling, but whatever your skills, read on to find out a bit more from some of the people doing the jobs on a day-to-day basis:

• Paul Edmunds, Compliance Manager
• Erica Young, Policy Programme Manager
• John Travers, Corporate Affairs Manager
• Kirsty Tarplin, Licensing Officer

Paul Edmunds, Compliance Manager

I’m a Compliance Manager in the South West region, covering Cardiff, Newport, ‘the Valleys’, and the county of Herefordshire. This means that I help the gambling businesses in my area stay compliant with the Gambling Act, from national companies down to very small independents.

Every day is different because I deal with such a wide range of gambling businesses and issues. Because I’m regionally based I work from home, which means I can get an early start in the office and avoid the traffic - the traffic in the bathroom that is - as other family members are rushing to go out to work.

The Commission has set me up with everything I need to work from home, including a computer, printer, internet connection, landline, the ever-important Blackberry, and my sat nav – a vital bit of kit that helps me explore the Welsh countryside, although it isn’t so good at finding me a parking space!

In a day I might call in at all sorts of gambling businesses, from on-course bookmakers in ‘the Valleys’ to gaming machines suppliers and casinos in Cardiff city centre. I might be helping them assess their compliance and giving them advice and guidance, gathering information that helps us combat illegal machines, or otherwise helping gambling businesses keep on the straight and narrow.

The South West team has a great rapport, we keep in touch through our monthly meetings and I’m regularly on the phone to my Regional Compliance Manager. We can catch up with what’s going on in our areas, share information and notice any trends that are coming up. Back at VSH (that’s what we call HQ), everyone is ready to help when we need guidance on the finer points of legislation, or we have some intelligence information to report.

My day usually ends when I get back home, or should I say back in the office? And later that evening, working from home gives me an excuse to avoid watching EastEnders and instead taking a short stroll back to my desk to finish up bits and bobs so that they are not on my mind the following day.

Erica Young, Policy Programme Manager

We’re a real mixed bunch in Policy at the Gambling Commission, with backgrounds in a variety of other regulators and public services – and a few people who like to have a bet, too.  The thing we have in common is that none of us have a gambling industry background.  We’ve come in with the skills the Gambling Commission needs – writing, analysis, attention to detail - and a determination to learn from other people.

I’d previously worked in health services, but I needed a change and a new opportunity.   I came for three months, and I found it so interesting that I’m still here three years later. I went from cancer care to casinos in one step, proving to myself, and hopefully future employers, that I can go anywhere and do anything!

As a regulator working with new legislation we have had a very busy time developing policy. We’ve worked with industry experts to draw up a variety of licence conditions, codes of practice and technical standards to govern the way that gambling operations work.  The gambling industry is fast moving, and we work hard to keep up with new developments and make sure what we’ve published is still fit for purpose.  That’s the great thing – there’s always something new to puzzle over.

Right from the start I found that people were really generous with their time and their knowledge, helping the new recruits to find their feet.  Now that I’m one of the old hands, I hope I’m equally generous. The Policy team is hugely supportive, helping out when anyone is under pressure. We have some pretty big deadlines to hit and sometimes the work can be a bit crazy, but that’s fine because what we do is valued, and we all get a buzz from delivering excellent results!

John Travers, Corporate Affairs Manager

As Corporate Affairs Manager my main role is to help gambling operators and our other stakeholders understand what we want to achieve, by making sure we have plans in place to get across the information they need to know. Gambling media outlets like the Racing Post and Coinslot are very interested in our work, and I spend a lot of time helping them with their enquiries. Gambling is always in the public eye, so we get wider media interest as well, including requests for interviews from TV and radio programmes.

I organise our attendance at big trade events like the Betting Show and ATEI, and I also write some of the key speeches for our staff to deliver at the events, conferences and industry AGMs we go to.

I also work closely with the rest of my team. We make sure our internal and external communications are all working well, for example by making sure the website is up to date, and by answering press queries in a timely way. We also manage the publication of hundreds of documents each year, including our annual report and accounts.

No two days are the same when you’re a part of the Corporate Affairs team. We’re committed to being open about the way in which we work and our team is at the forefront of turning that promise into reality!

Kirsty Tarplin, Licensing Officer

Working as a Licensing Officer at the Commission is interesting because every day is different and filled with challenges. On an average day we deal with a mixture of personal and operator licence applications.  We analyse the information submitted and request additional information from external sources, for example the Disclosure and Barring Service.  We use this information to assess whether applicants meet our objectives and have suitability to operate within the industry.  The cases that we deal with vary in complexity and I can honestly say I learn something new everyday!

I also give advice and support to our external stakeholders, as well as other departments.

I started here in August 2006. Before this I worked in the retail sector and had no real experience in the gambling industry - apart from going to greyhound races occasionally.  Over the years I have built up a sound knowledge of the industry, thanks to the support and knowledge of my colleagues, who are always happy to help.

Working here can be really challenging, and being flexible to new ideas and processes is always an advantage. However everyone has a positive and friendly approach to getting things done, which makes this a good place to work.

There’s a great mix of people in our department - everyone is really sociable and there are lots of events going on outside of work, for example our pool tournaments. I have made some really good friends through working here, and my skills are always being developed and improved.

Employment statistics for 2012/13 (as at 31 August 2012)

Disability There are currently two employees with a disability as defined under the Equalities Act 2010 and 201 employees without a disability.

Page last reviewed: September 2012