21 May 2026 - Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Commissioners
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Commissioners, Thursday 21 May 2026.
09:30 Board room at Victoria Square House, Birmingham.
Commissioners:
- Charles Counsell (Interim Chair)
- Lloydette Bai-Marrow
- Helen Dodds
- Sheree Howard (from item 15 onwards)
- Claudia Mortimore
- Helen Phillips
- David Rossington
Executive team:
- Katharine Diamond
- Sarah Gardner
- Helen Gibson
- Natasha Harris
- Tim Miller
- Alistair Quigley
- John Tanner
- Sue Young.
In attendance:
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- Sarah Fox, Deputy Director, Gambling and Lotteries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (item 15 only) Emma Ward, Director General, DCMS (item 15 only) REDACTED (RedQuadrant) – observing as part of the 2026-27 external Board Effectiveness Review REDACTED (RedQuadrant) – (item 4 only)
Apologies: None
1. Private session for Commissioners and Secretariat
This session was not minuted.
2. Welcome, apologies and declarations of interest
The Interim Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting. He advised that REDACTED from RedQuadrant is here today to observe the meeting as part of the external Board Effectiveness Review and that Sarah Fox and Emma Ward would be joining for the Financial Risk Pilot item.
Apologies were noted from Sheree Howard for the first part of the meeting.
There were no new declarations of interest.
3. Minutes, actions and forward look
The minutes of the board meeting held on 19 March 2026 were agreed as a true and accurate record of the meeting subject to some minor typos to be corrected.
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The actions log was discussed:
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The forward look was discussed. An item on illegal gambling will be added to the 16 July 2026 board meeting agenda.
Board noted the remaining actions from the Board Effectiveness Review (BER) 2025-26.
Board discussed the BER actions:
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4. 2025 to 2026 external Board Effectiveness Review
Board noted the paper for discussion.
Board received an update on the high-level outcomes of the BER report highlights so far, including:
The timetable to delivery of the final report.
A summary of self-assessment results taken from the online survey.
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KPIs to be developed to monitor success against the new Corporate Strategy.
Opportunity at least once a year to carry out horizon scanning against the risk register.
Succession planning for Commissioners and skills gap – the need to move towards a staged entry and exit point for Commissioners.
A draft of the final BER report will be sent to the Interim Chair and Acting CEO during the period of 16 to 26 June 2026, with a final version coming to Board at its meeting on 16 July 2026.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
How can the Board and Executive Team maintain the momentum from the 20 May 2026 Away Day.
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5. Chair’s report
Board noted the Chair’s report for information.
The Interim Chair highlighted key points:
On the Commission’s Chair recruitment process, the sift of applicants was delayed and will take place this week.
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The Interim Chair met with the newly appointed Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) last week. The BGC Chair is from Bally’s and is also the Chair of GamProtect. The BGC will have a rotating Chair annually from their membership.
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Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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6. CEO’s report
Board noted the report for information.
The Acting CEO highlighted key points:
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The Acting CEO had a meeting last week with the DCMS Minister, REDACTED
The Acting CEO has been asked to give evidence on 17 June 2026 at the House of Lords Liaison Committee, on gambling advertising. There will now be a panel including the CEO of the Advertising Standards Association, the DCMS Minister and the Commission’s Acting CEO.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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7: Finance and Performance Reports
Board noted the Finance report.
Board received an update:
Based on the end of the last financial year, the closing position in terms of reserves is slightly higher than anticipated. This is a consequence of the timing of the fees consultation, but income and expenditure variance percentages are minimal.
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The Finance Team is moving to quarterly reporting for finance and performance, due to resourcing, and will produce a more concise pack of papers. A draft, revised pack will be shared with the Commission’s SID for initial input.
The Finance Team is in the middle of the year end audit and the National Audit Office (the Commission’s external auditors) will be on site from the beginning of June 2026.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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Board noted the Performance report.
Board received an update:
Performance has remained largely consistent across the year.
Some volumes of work are hard to predict but the Licensing Team has continued to perform, particularly given changes to CMS.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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On compliance figures reducing and then increasing, the Commission is starting to see better engagement which is helping the industry to get to compliance sooner. Part of the rise in figures is also due to the industry changing and developing.
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Board noted the People and Culture dashboard (Q4).
Board received an update:
There has been a rise in sickness absence overall in Q4, but since April 2026 there has been a significant reduction. A number of individuals are involved in other processes or on long-term absence.
The levels of mental health absence seen at the Commission is not unusual of what one would expect to see in the Civil Service.
The Commission has just accredited existing, and recruited additional, Mental Health First Aiders to support colleagues.
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Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
There is no correlation between the circumstances of levels of mental health and what is seen in the Pulse and annual surveys.
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There is an opportunity at exit interviews to gather some data from colleagues leaving the Commission however, it is currently difficult to gather such data as exit interviews are voluntary.
On flexible working, it is rare that any flexible working arrangement would be turned down however, the nature of some roles means there is an expectation to be in the office.
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Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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11. Corporate Strategy 2027 to 2030
Board noted the paper for discussion.
Board received an update:
Following Board approval in March 2026, work is being progressed on the development of the next Corporate Strategy (CS).
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Board was asked for steer and comments on outcomes, as set out in Annex A of the paper:
A productive discussion took place with Board on the CS at one of last year’s Board and Exec Away Days. The opportunity now is to take this to the next stage through the lens of a broad set of stakeholders to look at the outcomes. The Commission is well placed to carry out this exercise.
With the performance report that comes to Board, there is an opportunity to have a bespoke set of board level metrics of strategic outcomes, in order to give the Board that proper and strategic board level engagement.
A crystal clear line of sight to outcomes is key, which would also support the engagement of the risk agenda for Board.
Up to this point, Expert Groups have not given any input into the CS, but consideration needs to be given as to when they might be approached to give their input.
This is an excellent example of brand proposition – what kind of regulator will the Commission will be – and how is it prioritising to deliver its CS.
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Once the Corporate Strategy is sufficiently mature, for the Commission to talk to the industry about it, it should be making every effort to have a dialogue with operators, which it could carry out as part of the Operator Chairs’ Forum and also at the Industry Engagement Forum.
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Other steers from Board on the CS drafting were 1) how to put a lens on other outcomes through the eyes of different stakeholders, 2) how to monitor board level metrics to create strategic outcomes, and 3) a board level dashboard to frame the risks of the organisation through the eyes of the CS. Expert Groups will be engaged with the CS at the right point in the drafting process and through the CS work, consideration should be given as to what type of regulator the Commission wants to be seen as.
12. Legally Privileged & Confidential: 4NL Programme closure
Board noted the paper for decision.
Board received an update:
Board is required to give formal agreement to close the programme of both 4NLCC and 4NL Programme Board.
The Gate 5 NISTA Gateway Review has been completed and came out as a green rating. NISTA were very comfortable and positive with the Gate 5 Review.
The 4NL SRO is in the process of writing to the DCMS Permanent Secretary to close off the related DCMS actions associated with the 4NL Programme.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
Board noted that the 4NL Programme and its closure has been a fantastic achievement, especially with limited resources in some areas.
Culturally this is a point for some significant celebration and the Commission is holding an event with Ernst & Young on 1 June 2026 to mark this milestone achievement. On behalf of the Board, the Interim Chair congratulated the 4NL Team on the success of the Programme.
DECISION: Board:
Approved the closure of the Programme subject to satisfactory completion of the final closure activities noted in the paper (see Next Steps section).
Delegated authority for the SRO (John Tanner) to confirm the Board’s Programme closure decision in writing to the DCMS Permanent Secretary, substantially in the form of the draft letter provided as Annex B – Draft Letter to the Permanent Secretary - to the cover paper.
13. Gaming Machine Technical Standards
Board noted the paper for decision.
Board received an update:
This piece of work has been very significant and has been carried out over a long period of time, with complex stakeholder relationships.
This is a very good example of the Commission using the consultation process to improve what it does and to listen to feedback from stakeholders.
Board were invited to ask questions and make comments:
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14. Response to the consultation of the future of regulatory settlements
Board noted the paper for decision.
Board received an update:
The recommendation is to proceed with the proposal as consulted on and send future regulatory settlements to the consolidated fund as the Commission does for financial penalties.
The consultation on the future destination of regulatory settlements reflects changes around the statutory levy and the desire to not operate a parallel system.
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Board were invited to ask questions/make comments:
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DECISION: Board:
Noted the outcome of the recent consultation on the future destination of regulatory settlements and approved the two recommendations:
The proposal to amend section 2.39 of the Statement of Principles for Determining Financial Penalties so that in future any regulatory settlements are directed to the Consolidated Fund.
That decisions on the final wording in the Statement of Principles for Determining Financial Penalties, the content of the consultation response document and the publication date for this change, are delegated to the relevant Executive member (Tim Miller, or the Acting CEO in his absence).
15. Financial Risk Pilot (FRP) analysis and findings
Board noted the paper for decision.
The Interim Chair welcomed Emma Ward and Sarah Fox to the meeting. REDACTED.
Board received the papers and noted the following points in discussion:
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By way of reassurance, Board were advised that much of material shared today has been provided at previous board meetings, and any new information will be drawn out.
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The main focus of today’s meeting is to give thorough consideration to the evidence.
Further detail on implementation costs will be drawn out from the papers.
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Board were presented with two slides to assist in navigating the pack of papers, comprising the four themes, the evidence and what is new to the pack.
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17. Committee Assurance reports – Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) and Remuneration and Nominations Committee (RNC)
Board noted the ARC March and May 2026 assurance reports and the RNC March 2026 assurance report.
Board received an update on the ARC March 2026 assurance report:
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The audit opinion of ARC stays as moderate and ARC was pleased to get management’s thoughts on that opinion at the same time. In a resource constrained world, there is a need for management to prioritise some things over others and accept some risk positions. Management is considering how best to be transparent on what risks it is proposing to accept.
There are reduced resources in the Commission’s Risk and Assurance Team, which highlights and plays to the need to be choiceful of work and to be very clear with the Risk and Assurance Team as to what the priorities are.
There were no questions or comments from Board.
There were no updates on the ARC May 2026 assurance report and no comments or questions from Board.
There were no updates on the RNC March 2026 assurance report and no questions from Board.
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18. Any other business and review of the meeting
The following two items were discussed:
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General Counsel requested that if Commissioners have any views on delegations, to please let her know.
Several attendees commented on the audibility of the meeting which did affect the flow of the discussion in parts.
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19. SID session – not minuted
20. Below the line items
Committee annual effectiveness review- ARC – there were no comments on this paper.
Committee annual effectiveness review – RNC – there were no comments on this paper.
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Record of Decisions by Correspondence:
On 7 April 2026, Board approved a proposal on the Corporate Governance Framework – compliance with Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Board agreed that Appendix 6, Appendix A of the CGF is rescinded to remove the delegations to the Commission as a competent authority under the Alternative Dispute Resolution regulations.