The Gambling Commission, the regulatory body for the majority of gambling in Great Britain, is seeking to reassure gambling operators over its online filing after concerns were raised about the security of the system.
The Out-law.com website reports that under the Commission’s plans, companies with remote casino, betting and bingo licences, as well as those with gambling software operating licences, will be required to submit regulatory returns electronically via the system. Operators are currently able to submit returns in electric of paper form.
Material submitted via this online system could include sensitive financial information, such as details about revenue-sharing agreements, as well as the number of active customer accounts and suspicious activity reports.
In a consultation paper, the Commission said operators should not have concerns and that a number of measures are in place to protect the confidentiality of the files.
“The Commission would reiterate that procedures are in place to ensure that data is stored securely with controls to prevent access,” the paper said. “Our online system is encrypted and requires licensees to authenticate themselves before being able to submit and access their own data.
“We have been accredited against the ISO: 27001 standard since 2010. This is an internationally recognised standard for evaluating how securely an organisation manages and stores its information.
“As a public authority, the Commission also adheres to the Security Policy Framework and supporting guidance issued by Cabinet Office to ensure that the information we process is handled and stored in a secure manner in line with best practice and HMG requirements.”
The Commission also recently announced plans to change regulatory requirements when applying for a remote operating licence – changes that would mean operators would also need to submit application online.
