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Betting and Gaming

Our Betting & Gaming lawyers are recognised internationally as experts in the sector. We combine a full-service offering with deep sector knowledge that enables us to help our clients navigate challenges and harness opportunities in a constantly evolving and heavily regulated industry.

Our clients include many of the industry's leading names who value our regulatory expertise and strategic judgement. We act for online and land-based operators, marketing affiliates, governments, regulators, platform providers, software and games suppliers, investors and financial institutions.

Regulatory expertise at the core

We advise clients on all their regulatory needs, from licence applications, compliance requirements and preparation of policies and terms and conditions, through to compliance assessments, regulatory investigations and licence reviews. We are specialists in anti-money laundering and safer gambling requirements, with expertise in both remote and land-based operations. In an industry with ever evolving and expanding regulatory requirements and increasingly active regulators, an effective governance and compliance framework has never been more vital.

We have advised numerous individuals and corporates in connection with regulatory enforcement action including representing clients before the Regulatory Panel of the Gambling Commission and on appeal to the First Tier Tribunal. Our specialists provide clarity in helping to resolve even the most complex of issues. We have deep experience of managing relations with the regulator, holding the regulator to account and successfully concluding licence reviews through regulatory settlement.

Our lawyers are recognised for being able to bring a unique blend of corporate, regulatory and commercial expertise to a particular matter. This enables us to add strategic value to international corporate transactions and commercial arrangements. We regularly assist clients in assessing the impact of regulation, compliance and enforcement risk on corporate and commercial transactions and global licensing and expansion plans.

We have a particular reputation for advising on corporate deals within the sector, not just in the UK but globally. Our corporate lawyers regularly advise on M&A transactions, joint ventures and investments for private and public companies, including floats and takeovers, always with an eye to regulatory risk and approval requirements.

Our Betting & Gaming group also includes experts in tax, intellectual property, litigation, competition, reputation management and insurance, allowing us to provide an integrated service to our gambling clients.

How our betting and gaming lawyers can help you

Our Advertising and Marketing specialists have significant experience assisting clients in navigating regulatory action by the Advertising Standards Agency and the Gambling Commission and interpreting and implementing new and updated regulations and guidance including conducting ad reviews and advising on the application of relevant regulations to the use of adtech. Our experienced team has advised numerous clients on the sale and acquisition of affiliate marketing businesses and has a deep understanding of the common concerns for the buyers and sellers of such businesses.

Our team of specialists, which includes former regulators, have a deep understanding of the anti-money laundering requirements applicable to clients in the gambling industry. Gambling businesses are required to play an active role in the prevention and detection of money laundering and terrorist financing. We regularly provide advice on policies and procedures, business risk assessments and reporting requirements.  

By combining commercial and regulatory expertise, we are able to add strategic value to all our clients' commercial arrangements and ensure that our client's regulatory profile is protected. We are known for specialist expertise in sponsorship, franchising and technology including platform agreements, games supply contracts and licensing arrangements.

MDR Cyber is the cyber security and investigations practice within Mishcon de Reya. Our team is made up of cyber and investigations specialists who work alongside our legal teams to provide a comprehensive response to cyber incidents, digital investigations, and risk management issues.

We work across the betting and gaming sector advising operators licensed by the Gambling Commission in connection with information security, annual audit and reporting obligations, as well as the level of cyber security customers expect.

Our Cyber team has experience assisting gambling clients with data loss incidents, where attackers have compromised IT infrastructure, and more unusual issues such as extortion. We are unique in having an in-house intelligence team who provide a broad range of services from due diligence to cryptocurrency tracing.

Robust data stewardship is critical to the gambling industry and our cross-firm data practice has extensive experience in advising clients on how best to protect and fully leverage their data assets. We conduct data audits, highlight potential gaps in compliance and advise how to implement the necessary procedures, as well as dealing with any ‘ad hoc’ incidents that may occur. Our group comprises numerous non-lawyer data protection experts and cyber security specialists, so that our advice is all-encompassing.

We have advised a number of innovative businesses at the forefront of the digital assets market, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In the wake of BetIndex (t/a Football Index), these products have piqued the interest of UK regulators. We are able to provide detailed and often complex regulatory advice that opines on the boundaries of regulated gambling and unregulated activities and to assist our clients in dealing with enquiries from the regulators.

We act for some of the world's largest games and software developers and publishers. We provide a mix of commercial, IP, corporate and regulatory advice to the games sector. We bring a unique perspective to the advice we can offer because in a short space of time we already have contentious and non-contentious experience with individuals, teams, publishers and other interested commercial parties. Given our experience, we know how to protect our clients against potential regulatory and commercial pitfalls while at the same time maximise their opportunities in areas such as regulatory governance, licensing and brand protection.

The legal and regulatory landscape in the UK is on the brink of material change. Our team is at the forefront of the debate. Together with our colleagues in Politics & Law, we have developed a wealth of knowledge in relation to the development of the legal and regulatory framework that enables us to provide valued advice to clients seeking to anticipate the possible outcomes and the impact on their existing businesses, acquisitions and expansion plans. 

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