The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has established a new Industry Forum to provide the regulator with greater insight into the views of licensed operators.

The forum has been created to ensure the work of the UKGC is “evidence-led”, it said in a statement on 14 September.

The Industry Forum will sit alongside other stakeholder engagement initiatives such as the Lived Experience Advisory Panel, the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, and the Digital Advisory Panel.

The UKGC said the new collaboration should provide valuable insights through a range of different perspectives on gambling and regulation.

UKGC chair Marcus Boyle (pictured) said: “We’ve always listened to the views of the industry when deciding how best to make progress, but this new forum will give us another way to work with representatives from the industry we regulate.”

“We’ve always listened to the views of the industry when deciding how best to make progress, but this new forum will give us another way to work with representatives from the industry we regulate.”

The forum will initially share views on areas including account management, regulatory consultations and the UKGC’s ongoing data programme.

The regulator has pledged to recruit a forum chair for a three-year term, with a search underway from September 2023.

Overall, around 10 forum members will be appointed to represent a wide range of gambling interests.

Betsmart Consulting AML consultant Nigel Harvey described the development as “positive” on LinkedIn.

The UK gambling industry and its regulator have more often been at loggerheads in recent years due to increased regulation and stronger enforcement action.

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