The training and support for operators from many of you in this room has no doubt helped too. I am not saying everything is perfect and I also think the Commission’s uncompromising approach to compliance and enforcement activity in recent years has helped get us to where we are today. In turn we have then seen a reduction in the most extreme and unacceptable examples of failings in our casework as well. Since I was last speaking to your Conference, two years ago, we at the Gambling Commission have seen a step change in the gambling industry’s commitment to meeting our standards and comply with our rules. Some of you may have heard me make this argument recently already but I think it bears repeating. And that brings me back to the progress we have seen over recent months. But I think the overarching idea of today’s conference, that we all do well to work together: together making good on delivering the White Paper and safer gambling, is an important one and I’ll give you my take on what that looks like but first I want to touch on why we are able to talk about working together so confidently. So I will not hang around with what I have got to say. GambleAware are cramming a lot in today and for good reason given how much is going on in gambling at the present time. Thanks also to the Minister for his reflections just now.

Please note: This is the speech as drafted and may slightly differ from the delivered version. This speech was delivered by chief executive Andrew Rhodes at the GambleAware Annual Conference on 6 December 2023. GambleAware Annual Conference 2023 - Andrew Rhodes speech

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