British betting is a highly valuable, highly regulated and highly competitive market, a holy trinity of factors that market newcomers like online sportsbook and casino Midnite are trying to take on in stride.
A recent regulatory upheaval, and with some politicians calling for yet another one, has left operators both large and small with a lot of compliance challenges on their plate. Midnite’s VP of Compliance, Alex Henderson, shares his perspective on the UK’s changing compliance dynamics, ahead of discussing this topic at the SBC Summit Lisbon.
As a relatively newcomer to UK betting, how has Midnite taken to the player protection focus that has dominated the market in recent years?
I have been at Midnite only a short time, and what I can say is that as a business, they genuinely put the customer first in everything they do. No decision is made without considering the customer. Protecting customers is key, Midnite wants to ensure that customers have a great experience, but more importantly, they want them to be safe.
How can smaller operators balance market growth ambitions, including advertising and player outreach, with the need to ensure players are protected to the fullest extent?
I would suggest that focusing on the consumer will help any business design products that will help achieve growth. Even if you look outside of gambling at businesses such as Monzo and Revolut. They started with a product designed to help customers, the growth was a consequence of building an excellent product.
How has the company learned from the lessons, and mistakes, of its contemporaries when it comes to player protection?
One thing that is great about our industry is that we all learn from and help each other, especially within compliance. In the UK specifically, the fact that the UKGC shares best practice and learnings from enforcement action is a fantastic tool for compliance professionals and gambling operators in general. I would say that the main lesson in player protection is a simple one, make your product and the environment safe and user friendly.
Is navigating the changing dynamics of player protection, with the Gambling Act review still being adopted, a challenge for a newcomer brand like yourselves?
Changing regulation and guidance is a challenge for all operators, not necessarily because of complexity, but because of the technical time and operational effort required to implement changes correctly. Beyond technical implementation, you also need to embed new processes, train teams, and monitor for effectiveness.
That said, when you operate in a regulated industry, you develop a certain level of agility. Newer brands, if anything, are often better positioned to adapt quickly. We’re not constrained by legacy systems or internal bureaucracy, which gives us the flexibility to build compliance into our processes from the ground up.
So while regulatory change always requires work, it’s something we expect, and we’ve designed our structure to be able to respond quickly and responsibly. I have witnessed this first hand at Midnite already, where a challenge is presented and the various experts throughout the organisation band together to find a swift and effective solution.
Is more cross-industry collaboration needed between large and small operators to ensure customers are not just jumping from site to site?
I think we’ve actually started to see some really solid progress in this area, especially at conferences and roundtables where the egos get left at the door and people genuinely want to solve things together.
There’s still more to do, of course, especially around things like data sharing and consistent standards, but the intent is there now in a way it maybe wasn’t a few years ago. The more we treat player protection as a shared responsibility, the harder it becomes for players to fall through the cracks.
Could the industry make more use of the huge amounts of player data that have been amassed by the largest and most well-established firms?
Oh absolutely, and not just to sell them another accumulator. Some of the big firms are sitting on data goldmines, but most of the time it gets used for marketing or risk, not protection.
There’s so much untapped potential to use that data for early intervention, better tooling, smarter limits. The tech exists. The question is whether we’re willing to share, standardise, and prioritise it for the right reasons. The good thing is, there are a lot of operators taking strides in the space, so are some external providers who have been raising the bar here.
What will SBC Summit attendees learn from your panel about the future of player protection in markets like the UK?
I don’t like sitting on panels and repeating the same messages from my industry peers. I would say that attendees’ learning will depend on two things… the questions I get asked on the day and then how open attendees are to different perspectives.
We’ll talk about what’s actually working, where the gaps still are, and how we move from theory to action. Expect honesty, a bit of healthy disagreement, and maybe even a few useful ideas you can nick for your own team.
SBC Summit will take place from 16–18 September at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, bringing together 30,000 industry stakeholders for an unmissable three-day experience.Looking to attend? Here’s how:
Secure your place with a VIP Event Pass – Enjoy full access to all conference sessions, the exhibition floor, exclusive networking events, and complimentary food and drink throughout the summit.
Bringing the team? Take advantage of our Group Pass Discount — purchase three or more VIP Event Passes and pay just €400 per ticket (saving €200 off the standard price).
Operator or affiliate? You may be eligible for a complimentary VIP Event Pass, which includes full access to the exhibition, conference, and exclusive networking events. Apply now to reserve your spot.
Expo+ Pass: Gain access to the full exhibition floor and all conference sessions across the three days. This does not include access to our exclusive VIP evening networking events.