The UK’s Gambling Commission and the National Lottery Commission merge today (October 1).
The two bodies have been located in the same offices in Birmingham since January 2012, allowing them to share common services such as IT and human resources. From today, the new entity, the Gambling Commission, will licence and regulate all commercial gambling and the National Lottery in the UK.
“As we bring National Lottery regulation under the umbrella of the Gambling Commission we will be better placed to carry out our role by combining the expertise of both organisations, as well as building on the National Lottery Commission’s successful record in maximising returns to good causes,” said Philip Graf, chair of the Gambling Commission.
Anne Wright, chair of the National Lottery Commission up to today’s merger, said that no doubt the coming years will present “just as many challenges” in regulating the lottery but that she is confident that the Commission will “continue to protect the interests of lottery players.”
