Betfair co-founder to sit on new gambling harm and crime commission
Andrew Black to be part of a 16-member investigatory panel over the next three years
Betfair co-founder Andrew ‘Bert’ Black will be one of 16 members of a new legal commission set up to examine the links between crime and gambling-related harm.
The Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling, established by prison reform charity the Howard League for Penal Reform, will run for three years and be chaired by former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC.
It will be made up of a team of 16 experts in the areas of criminal justice, public health and various experts from the gambling industry.
Commission members include Betfair co-founder Andrew Black, Gordon Moody Association CEO Adele Duncan and Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, founder and director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic.
The commission is empowered to provide recommendations which can apply to both the gambling industry and criminal justice system.
Tim Miller, executive director at the Gambling Commission, said the Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling will fill a “a significant gap” in understanding the relationship between gambling harms and crime.
Lord Goldsmith QC, chair of the commission, cited growing concerns about gambling related harm, highlighting the commission as being the first to focus specifically on the relationship between problem gambling and crime.
“Our commission will seek to establish what the links are; what impact they have on communities and wider society; and, crucially, what steps could be taken to reduce crime and make people safer,” Goldsmith added.