Compliance Updates
Seven Commissioners Appointed to the UK Gambling Commission
The Secretary of State has appointed seven Commissioners to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Charles Counsell, Helen Dodds, Sheree Howard and Claudia Mortimore have been appointed for terms of five years. Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Helen Philips and David Rossington have been appointed for terms of four years.
Lloydette Bai-Marrow
Lloydette is an anti-corruption expert and economic crime lawyer. She is the Founding Partner of Parametric Global Consulting, an economic crime investigations consultancy.
Lloydette is the Chair of the Board of Spotlight on Corruption, a UK based anti-corruption charity, she sits on the Legal Panel for WhistleblowersUK and is a trustee for the Unite Foundation. She is a Member of the Conduct Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
Lloydette is a Senior Visiting Lecturer at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Austria. She is a Co-Founder and Director of the Black Women in Leadership Network (BWIL), a non-profit network committed to increasing the representation of black women in leadership and decision-making positions.
Charles Counsell OBE
Charles was Chief Executive Officer of The Pensions Regulator from April 2019 to March 2023. Prior to this he was CEO of the Money Advice Service and Executive Director of Automatic Enrolment at The Pensions Regulator.
As CEO of The Pensions Regulator, Charles developed the new corporate strategy to put the pension saver at the heart of the Regulator. He delivered their first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Climate Change strategies – both focused on driving change in the regulator and across the Pensions Sector.
Throughout his career, his roles have focused on setting up and delivering large change programmes requiring significant stakeholder relationship engagement: initially in the private sector and latterly in senior public sector appointments.
Helen Dodds OStJ
Helen Dodds is an international lawyer, consultant and board member. She is currently a board member of the Human Tissue Authority, a director and trustee of the St John’s Eye Hospital Group, a director of LegalUK, and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Prior to this, she was a board member of the London Court of International Arbitration.
She is a qualified (now non-practising) solicitor and in her executive career she was Global Head of Legal, Dispute Resolution at Standard Chartered Bank. She has a degree in Modern History from Oxford University.
Sheree Howard
Sheree has over 25 years’ experience in the UK financial services industry with knowledge of the process of regulation and a key focus on risk management, audit and controls. Sheree is currently the Executive Director of Risk and Compliance Oversight at the Financial Conduct Authority. She is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Sheree has held roles in banking in areas of risk and compliance including Director of Advisory (Compliance), Commercial and Private Banking for the Royal Bank of Scotland; and Chief Risk Officer at Direct Line Group.
Sheree has been a Governor, including Chair, for more than 10 years of a maintained Special Needs School and has provided pro bono advice to a number of other charities.
Claudia Mortimore
Claudia has over 25 years’ experience of criminal law and regulation. She spent the first 10 years of her career working as a barrister then, after a career break to raise three children, prosecuted drugs, tax and money-laundering offences for the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and fraudulent trading offences for the Department for Business.
Since 2013 Claudia has worked in senior positions in the Enforcement Division of the Financial Reporting Council, the body which regulates accountants, auditors and actuaries in the public interest and which sets the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes. Claudia has led major investigations into serious and complex audit and accountancy failures.
Claudia has a particular interest in Diversity and Inclusion, she has also played a key role in promoting the importance of mental health and well-being at the Financial Reporting Council.
Helen Phillips
Dr Helen Phillips is an experienced executive and non-executive, with a career spanning the public, private and not for profit sectors. Helen’s current non-executive appointments include Chair of NHS Professionals Ltd and Chair of the Chartered Insurance Institute. Helen is concluding a nine year term as Chair of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
In 2015 she was appointed as a lay member of the Legal Services Board (LSB), she was appointed independent Chair in 2017, and served a six year term to 31 March 2023. She served as a non-executive director of Social Work England from 2018 to 2021. Helen has also held non-executive director roles in Higher Education and the schools sector. Previously Helen was Board Director of Yorkshire Water and Chair of Loop Customer Management Ltd, a Kelda Group subsidiary. Prior to that, her career as a regulator was as founding Chief Executive of Natural England and a Director of the Environment Agency.
Helen has a BSc in Zoology and a PhD in Environmental Science from University College Dublin. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.
David Rossington CB
David is a former senior civil servant. He has worked for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), including as Finance Director and acting Director General, and other Government departments including what is now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Since stopping full time work, he has been a member of the Advisory Committee on National Records and Archives and currently serves as its Deputy Chair. He is Treasurer and Deputy Chair of Stoll, a charity for veterans and Treasurer of Arts at the Old Fire Station, an Oxford community arts charity.
David holds a degree in History and French from Oxford, a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School, Harvard University, and an economics MSc from Birkbeck College, London. David took an accountancy qualification while a civil servant, although is no longer in practice.
Compliance Updates
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Launches Official Seal of Approval
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has recently developed and adopted an official seal of approval, which all licensed sports betting operators in the state are now required to display on their digital platforms. The introduction of this seal represents a significant step in the MGC’s ongoing efforts to promote responsible and regulated gaming within the Commonwealth.
The seal is intended to serve as a clear signal to consumers that they are accessing a sports betting platform licensed and regulated by the MGC. By prominently featuring this seal, customers can easily distinguish between legal, licensed operators and unsafe, illegal alternatives.
“The MGC has spent considerable efforts ensuring that the operators licensed in the Commonwealth share our values and are committed to consumer protections and responsible gaming. Massachusetts residents who choose to gamble on sports deserve to know their data, personal and financial information are protected, and only the legal marketplace offers those protections. By locating this seal, users will be able to easily identify a legal sportsbook from an illegal operator,” said Commissioner Eileen O’Brien.
Offshore and unlicensed sports betting sites have been accessible to patrons across the US for years. However, with the legalization of sports wagering in Massachusetts, these offshore operators may attempt to present themselves as legitimate. Yet, they are not licensed by any state jurisdiction and do not comply with the same regulations and consumer protection standards as the legal market.
The risks of using these illegal platforms extend beyond potential data breaches or financial losses. Unlicensed operators may refuse to honor winning bets, leaving consumers with little to no recourse. Illegal gambling activities are also often tied to other serious crimes. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has issued cease-and-desist orders to several major illicit operators. It will continue to monitor and take action against such unlawful activities in coordination with the MGC. The Commission would urge anyone looking for more information on illegal platforms to visit the website of the American Gaming Association.
This newly adopted seal serves as a visual reminder of the regulations in Massachusetts’s legal sports betting market. It enhances consumer protection and builds trust with members of the public who choose to engage in sports betting. By identifying the official MGC seal, customers can have peace of mind knowing they are accessing a fully licensed platform compliant with the Commonwealth’s laws and regulations.
Compliance Updates
IAGR confirms new Board members
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced the appointment of four new trustees to its Board, each bringing unique expertise and leadership to strengthen IAGR’s global regulatory efforts:
- Anders Dorph, Danish Gambling Authority (Europe)
- Peter Kesitilwe Emolemo, Gambling Authority of Botswana (Africa)
- Kevin Mullally, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (Asia/Oceania)
- Louis Rogacki, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (North America)
IAGR President Ben Haden said, ‘I’m delighted to welcome our four new trustees to the IAGR Board. Their diverse expertise and leadership across different jurisdictions will bring fresh perspectives to our work, further strengthening our global approach to gaming regulation.
‘I look forward to collaborating with Peter, Louis, Kevin and Anders as we continue to foster innovation and drive forward effective, responsible regulation for the benefit of the global gaming community.
‘We also extend a big thank you to Trude Høgseth Felde and Mabutho Zwane for their dedicated service as they complete their terms on the Board, and I’m pleased to announce that Jason Lane will continue for another term as a Trustee.’
As a leading forum for gaming regulators worldwide, IAGR enables members to meet, share information, discuss legislative developments, exchange views and learn best practices in gaming regulation.
In recent news, IAGR has also confirmed that its 2025 annual conference will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 20 to 23 October 2025, with registrations opening in early 2025.
The post IAGR confirms new Board members appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Alpha Innovations
Internet Vikings Provides VMware License to Alpha Innovations
Internet Vikings, a licensed in-state hosting provider for iGaming and online sports betting, announces their partnership with Alpha Innovations, a provider of data center services. Under the agreement Internet Vikings will supply Alpha Innovations with VMware licensing through its VMware White Label solution.
Alpha Innovations, known for being a leading Managed Services Provider including cloud computing, data storage, and backup, has chosen to partner with Internet Vikings, a member of the Broadcom Premier Partnership program. This membership highlights Internet Vikings’ capabilities in supporting large-scale and highly regulated environments.
Internet Vikings will provide Alpha Innovations with the essential VMware license, an asset for their cloud offerings. This addition enhances Alpha Innovations’ capability to set up and maintain regulated and compliant cloud environments while upholding their high standards.
“The added value of our licensing solutions and support services aligns perfectly with Alpha Innovations’ needs,” said Rickard Vikström, CEO and Founder at Internet Vikings.
Douglas Tate, CEO at Alpha Innovations added, “As a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP), Alpha Innovations is always looking for ways to improve our service offerings. Our partnership with Internet Vikings is a win-win for our clients. By leveraging Internet Vikings’ VMware licensing solutions, we can offer our clients more flexible, scalable, and secure cloud solutions. This will ultimately help our clients achieve their business goals more efficiently and effectively.”
Both companies are committed to maintaining a transparent and mutually beneficial relationship, demonstrating how data centers and hosting providers can collaborate to meet the licensing needs of the industry.
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