UK Government consulting on regulatory merge

The UK government’s plan to cut costs by reducing the number and expenses of public bodies reached the gambling industry last year with the decision to merge the Gambling Commission  and the National Lottery Commission, and this initiative has now moved into the consultative stage.

Details of the phase can be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/9255.aspx, which says that the goal will be to continue to deliver appropriate and effective regulation of gambling and the National Lottery along with other organisational benefits.

A provision to merge the two bodies was therefore included in the Public Bodies Bill which received Royal Assent in December last year.

The creation of a single regulator should ensure that regulation continues to protect the public, particularly in light of rapid change and innovation in the overall gambling market, while allowing regulated sectors to flourish, an official statement advises.

The government is now seeking to use the powers in the Public Bodies Act 2011 to put in place the merger of the two the Gambling Commission and the National Lottery Commission by abolishing the NLC and transferring its powers to the Gambling Commission.

Ministers are required by law to consult on their proposals before laying draft legislation, and comments are therefore being invited, along with the publication of an impact assessment.

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