The annual license fees for gambling operators has increased in Britain by 55%. On the other hand, the license fees for the new operator is 60% now. To regulate rapidly, the gambling commission has grown the number of employees who will help to prevent the black market and tackle the gambling Mafias.
New changes in the fees
The changes in the fees have been proposed by the Department of Culture, Sports and Media which will be effective from 29th January. The consultation is different from the review of the Gambling Act. It is also going to be undertaken by the DCMS and Gambling Commission will also look into this matter.
In the consultation document, DCMS had argued that the Commission had faced major challenges. The three of them are technological development, unlicensed operators and global businesses. The threat of the black market cannot be denied too. In response to the first challenge, more specialized technical staff has been asked by the Commission. A chief technical staff with proven knowledge is required to have the best result with the proper utilization of the tools. In addition to this, DCMS has also proposed to work with the Commission and help to invest more for the adaptation of the tools. Besides, the Commission has also proposed to have the chief product officer with proven expertise in the technology sector.
The change like this may cost 1.2 million pounds when it is fully implemented. In response to the second challenge, the consultation has suggested the Commission that it needs more employees to drive with the international regulatory agenda. Working with other regulators may help the company to understand the global market in a more flexible way. To get help in this area, legal capital has been already proposed by the Commission. It is estimated that the cost can be around 10 million pounds in the beginning when it is implemented. Finally, to prevent the black market from growing in the gambling sector, DCMS has proposed to hire more staff. They are bound to identify illegal gambling operators by utilizing their resources effectively. Adding more tools will help them to increase the of tackling the illegal operators.
