Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they have undertaken to ensure that the burden on companies applying for a gambling licence is minimised in line with their priorities to reduce red tape; and whether they considered the ability of such companies to compete against unlicensed operators in any such work.

The Gambling Commission is responsible for ensuring that the costs of applying for a Commission licence, and the regulatory burden of complying with it, are the minimum necessary to ensure compatibility with the licensing objectives.

The Commission keeps its licensing arrangements and licence conditions and codes (LCCP) under review. Recently it consulted on improved licensing processes for moving to an online licence application process, and introducing a multi-jurisdictional form to reduce the costs for applicants applying for licences in more than one jurisdiction.

In advance of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 coming into force on 1^st October, the Commission has been working with operators and overseas regulators to avoid duplication and undue regulatory burden wherever possible – for example, minimising the need for operators to duplicate material or assurances that can be obtained from an operator's host nation regulator. These consultations have enabled the Commission to take into account the impact on the relative attractiveness of operating legally in a regulated market compared to the risks of operating illegally.