The Gambling Commission has published its first ever National Strategic Assessment.
The document uses the latest available evidence, from a wide range of sources and case studies, to assess the issues and the risks gambling presents to consumers and the public. It sets out the Commission’s priority actions to address those risks and issues, as well as highlighting a number of areas where significant progress is already made to make gambling safer.
As a part of the report the Commission states, in relation to premises based underage gambling, ‘We will continue to support those licensing authorities, local police or trading standards who undertake test purchasing in response to heightened risk or as part of their general legal and regulatory oversight.’
Alongside this it has published the latest Compliance and Enforcement Report – some headline data being:
- Commencing reviews on 49 people who hold personal licences to operate gambling businesses
- Suspending five operating licences
- Revoking 11 operating licences
- Issuing 12 financial penalty packages of regulatory settlements – totalling over £30 million.
- Carrying out 234 security audits and 33 website reviews
- Conducting 350 compliance assessments of land-based and online operators