The Gambling Commission’s Tim Miller has called out prohibitionist politicians for asking the regulator to conduct premises inspections whilst half of local authorities fail to do any inspections themselves.
In a slightly mundane speech at the Peers for Gambling Reform’s Gambling Summit this week, Miller delivered the regulator’s now common overblown report of its successes. But, in a complete change of tone, there was one spikey and fierce assault on the local councils where Miller “unapologetically” addressed requests – presumably from councils – for the Commission to conduct premise inspections.
“The power to grant premises licences sits with local authorities in their role as licensing authorities. It also made clear that any licence fees they charge must be used solely for the purpose of their local regulatory activities, which includes premises inspections,” he explained.
“As a fairly small regulator based in Birmingham, the Gambling Commission is not in a position to police every gambling establishment up and down the nations of Britain. Any change to that position would require government to introduce a very different funding model for the Commission.”
He added that, while the Commission values its relationship with local authorities, it’s not going to do their job for them.
“It cannot be the role of the national regulator to fill any gaps left in local regulation when less than half of licensing authorities are conducting any premises inspections, that the licensing fee funds them to perform,” Miller concluded. “And so, I am unapologetic in saying that the Commission must and will remain focussed on delivering the already considerable statutory roles that Parliament gave to us.”
Miller may describe the Gambling Commission as “a fairly small regulator in Birmingham”, but it’s certainly got a big mouth and an even bigger ego. Having recently stuck a middle finger up at the Office of Statistics Regulation for its GSGB failings, it’s sent a stinging attack on the work of the local authorities and, some might consider, signalled a veiled power grab of inspections – for money in the Commission coffers?
