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Policy

Appraisal Methodology and Selection Policy

The Appraisal Methodology and Selection Policy for the Gambling Commission.

Published
5 March 2026

Last updated
5 March 2026 - Changes

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  1. Contents
  2. 2 - History of the Gambling Commission

2 - History of the Gambling Commission

    2.0
    1. The Gambling Commission is an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) which was established under the Gambling Act 2005. As such, it is legally obliged under the Public Records Act 1958 to transfer selected records to an appropriate place of deposit.

    2. The Commission was established under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate the Gambling industry. The Commission is responsible for issuing personal gambling licences for individuals and gambling operating licences for businesses, conducting compliance assessments to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulatory requirements, and enforcement activities where providers are found to be non-compliant. Its predecessor was the Gaming Board for Great Britain, which ceased to exist in 2007 following a transition period to the Commission. There are no inherited records from the Gaming Board.

    3. The Commission’s core functions are:
      • Licensing
      • Compliance
      • Enforcement
      • Intelligence
      • Communications
      • Policy
      • Governance.

    4. The Commission’s statutory functions, as determined by the Gambling Act 2005, are to:
      • license operators and key individuals who provide gambling in Great Britain
      • set requirements through licence conditions and codes of practice on how gambling is provided
      • assess the compliance of licence holders
      • enforce regulatory requirements and prosecute Gambling Act offences
      • publish a Statement of principles
      • advise the Secretary of State on gambling and gambling regulation
      • issue guidance to Licensing Authorities.

    5. The parent department for the Commission is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As an NDPB, the Commission is responsible for the appraisal, selection and transfer of its own records.

    6. The Commission merged in 2014 with the National Lottery Commission. The 2 bodies retained separate identities and budgets until they became fully combined in 2023. To maintain the integrity of the administrative history for each body, records dating prior to 2023 will be treated separately for the purpose of records transfer.
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    Selection decisions - Appraisal Methodology and Selection Policy
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