New UKGC CEO outlines expectations of industry

ambling Commission chief executive Sarah Harrison has set out the regulator's expectations of the gambling industry in relation to social responsibility.

Sarah Harrison, who fully assumed the role in October, told the Responsible Gambling Trust's Harm Minimisation Conference that the industry has to be "at the top of its game, placing social responsibility at the heart of what it does".

The expectations were listed as:

Clarity of purpose. "Is the work the operators are doing on social responsibility aimed at preventing harm or simply tackling it and dealing with it where it is already occurring?"

Evaluation. "Is there a transparent framework, and over time how will operators report their findings?"

Added value. "Are operators doing the minimum or taking their responsibilities further?"

Customer Focus. "Are businesses considering every aspect of the customer journey, including where it begins with marketing and advertising?"

Transparency. "Will operators take stakeholders with them, be open about the inputs as well as the outputs and the conclusions."

Harrison added that the industry must "build public confidence that gambling merits its place as a legitimate leisure activity".