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Gambling Commission strengthens senior team

18 March 2014

The Gambling Commission has continued its push to bring in a range of industry expertise with the engagement of two senior industry figures.

Ahead of the implementation of the changes proposed in the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill, Ladbrokes Customer Services Director Sue Harley and Roger Parkes, former Director of Group Compliance at Betfair, will both work with the Commission in coming months and will provide expertise and insight to support the Commission’s work in regulating remote gambling operators based offshore.

Sue Harley joins the Commission in early April on a fixed term contract. As an Executive Director, she will take on responsibility for a broad policy and management portfolio. Roger Parkes is already working with the Commission, providing additional experience and input into the Commission’s preparations for implementation of the Bill.

These arrangements supplement the expertise in the Commission’s existing cross-functional teams in areas such as enforcement, legal, intelligence gathering and player protection.

Jenny Williams, Chief Executive at the Commission, said “We are delighted to have Sue and Roger working with us. Their experience and industry knowledge will prove invaluable as we move towards implementation of the changes to remote gambling regulation”.

Note to editors

  1. The Gambling Commission (the Commission) regulates gambling in the public interest alongside its co-regulators local licensing authorities. 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. Subject to these overriding public protection objectives, as regulator of the National Lottery the Commission monitors and challenges Camelot to raise the maximum amount for good causes. The Commission also provides independent advice to government on gambling in Britain.
  2. The Commission and local licensing authorities are responsible for licensing and regulating all gambling in Great Britain other than spread betting, which is the responsibility of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (opens in new tab).
  3. See the What we do section of our website for information on legal advice (opens in new tab).
  4. Sue Harley spent nearly 18 years with Ladbrokes plc during which time she held a variety of positions. Most recently she was Customer Services Director where she held operational responsibility for Ladbrokes customer support departments in Gibraltar and in the UK. Prior to that she was the company's first Compliance Director, a role she held for more than 10 years, during which time she was instrumental in preparing Ladbrokes retail and online operations for the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005. Sue started her career as a Trainee Personnel Officer with Grand Metropolitan and has held a number of senior HR roles in multi site retail and leisure businesses - including as HR Director of Ladbrokes' casino business before its sale to Gala Coral. Sue has been a trustee of the Ladbrokes Charitable Trust since its inception in 2003 and also served for many years on the Board of CitizenCard. Sue is married and is shortly to move to Scotland.
  5. Roger has spent over twenty-five years in the gambling industry with more than 18 years regulatory experience in Australia, New Zealand and with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. He has worked in both the online and offline commercial industry in many parts of the world, including Casinos Austria, Playboy and more recently, Betfair where he was Group Compliance Director responsible globally for licensing, regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering and integrity. He is a founding partner of Gambling Integrity Services, which provides expert advice and services to the regulatory and commercial industry around the world. He speaks regularly at international conferences, is a member of a number of international professional security organisations, has previously worked within IAGR and is a current member of International Masters of Gaming Law.
  6. The fixed term contract is to cover the maternity leave of the Director - Planning and Performance.

For all media enquiries, please contact the Gambling Commission press office.


Last updated: 2 November 2022

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Following an audit the 'Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)' link has been updated.

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