The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Andrew Rhodes has decided to leave the Commission on 30 April 2026, to take up a new role, which will be announced in due course.

Andrew has provided outstanding leadership of the Commission for almost five years and has overseen a transformation of the Commission and how it regulates the gambling Industry.

Andrew has led the work required from the Commission to implement the Gambling Act Review, with a strong focus on consumer safeguards. This has included the introduction of financial vulnerability checks, reducing the intensity of online games, and banning potentially harmful marketing offers. He has also overseen the introduction of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, now one of the largest surveys of gambling behaviour in the world.

Amongst his other achievements, Andrew oversaw the successful implementation of the Fourth National Lottery licence and transformed the Commission’s approach to regulation through more robust and outcome-focused strategies.

He said: “It has been a privilege to lead the Gambling Commission through such an important period of change. I am proud of the progress we have made to strengthen regulation, improve consumer protections, and ensure gambling is safer and fairer. I leave with confidence in the organisation, its people, and the work still to come.”

Charles Counsell, Interim Chair of the Gambling Commission, said: “Andrew has provided outstanding leadership for nearly five years and leaves a strong legacy. He has led the Commission through major reform, strengthened our regulatory approach, and ensured consumer protection has remained at the heart of our work. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Andrew for his dedication and wish him every success in the future.”

The Commission will shortly begin the process of recruiting a Chief Executive for an interim period. Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner will step up as Acting Chief Executive to cover the areas of work that Andrew will step back from during this transitional period.

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Continent 8 Technologies, a premier provider of advanced managed IT solutions tailored for the worldwide iGaming and online sports betting sector, announces its official launch in Alberta, Canada. This growth comes after the province unveiled its competitive iGaming regulatory framework and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) issued comprehensive hosting and security requirements, representing another important milestone in Continent 8’s enduring dedication to the North American market.

With established operations in Ontario – where the company effectively introduced its Public Cloud solution in Toronto in direct response to the province’s launch of its iGaming market in 2022 – Continent 8 brings to Alberta the same level of regulatory insight, technical expertise, and customer-focused innovation that has positioned it as a reliable partner throughout Canada.

Alberta’s iGaming regulations outline specific hosting and data management responsibilities for suppliers and operators. For instance, every data centre utilized by licensees must obtain AGLC approval, which includes data residency, cross-border transfers, and encryption key management.

The province requires fully operational disaster recovery infrastructure and unalterable, encrypted backups, along with stringent conditions for quarterly testing and offsite storage—fields where Continent 8’s expertise offers instant benefits.

Besides hosting requirements, Alberta implements some of the most thorough security standards in the nation, such as mandatory MFA, compliance with SOC 2 and ISO 27001, yearly penetration testing, and extensive log retention mandates.

“Our heritage means we understand the rigorous regulatory expectations, and the operational challenges operators and suppliers face when entering new markets,” said Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder of Continent 8 Technologies. “Alberta’s standards are comprehensive, particularly around disaster recovery, backups, and security. We have built our solutions so customers can meet these requirements confidently from day one. We are excited to support customers as Alberta opens its market and continues Canada’s growth story.”

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