UK Gambling Commission Set To Monitor and Regular Gaming Activities

From September of 2007, operators of any type of legal gambling establishment must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission which will monitor and regular how all British gaming activities operate. Any gambling business failing to fully comply with the regulations or anyone operating any form of illegal gaming operation will have strong legal action taken again them.

These new Gambling Commission powers come into effect as a result of the activation of the legislation known as The Gambling Act of 2005. A newly released document, Licensing, Compliance and Enforcement, provides the gaming business operators the first signs as to exactly how gambling will be allowed to function and how the Gambling Act will be used to control their enterprises.

In additional to the requirement to hold a licence from the Gambling Commission, key members involved in the operation of gaming businesses will be subjected to background checks for criminal records, integrity investigations, financial solvency verification and Companies House records. Shareholders and major investors will undergo the same forms of screening in an effort to prevent the criminal sector from stepping into the gambling business in the United Kingdom.

Legally operated gaming establishments must satisfy the Gambling Commission that new rules are followed which are designed to ensure crime is deterred and that gambling is handled in a socially responsible manner. Commission staff will inspect casinos, bingo halls, amusement arcades, online gaming sites and betting shops frequently using both surprise checks and pre-scheduled visits. Mystery shopping is another investigative method that will be employed where investigators, disguised as customers, will assess a gambling establishment's operations covertly.

Those gambling establishments that fail to comply with any of the new rules and regulations put into affect as a result of The Gambling Act of 2005 can expect licence revocation or suspension, unlimited fines and other sanctions. Unlicenced, illegal gambling operations of all types will also be stiffly prosecuted and their operations closed down. Legal action will proceed promptly for any facilities failing to meet the tough new rules.