Richard Williams

Richard handles complex liquor licensing matters across the UK, including stadia, festivals, retail, and hospitality venues, with experience advising police forces, handling licence reviews, and navigating contested and cross-jurisdictional applications.

• Advised a number of football clubs about stadia licensing, including licensing for outdoor music events and festivals.
• Licensed over 400 sites in England, Wales, and Scotland for off-sales for a national retailer.
• Advised on the licensing of large outdoor Festival No. 6 in Portmeirion, Wales, despite significant residential opposition.
• Instructed by a regional police force to apply for an Early Morning Restriction Order (EMRO) in Blackpool.
• Advised a cruise ship operator on the legality of permitting smoking in its casinos aboard ships departing the UK and sailing in territorial and international waters. This was a complex matter involving advice on smoking laws in the UK, in and outside territorial waters.
• Represented a nightclub in Manchester in relation to a summary licence review brought by GMP following a violent incident (stabbing) at the premises.
• Provided regulatory advice to a retailer relating to preventing sales of alcohol, knives, and other age-restricted items in its stores.
• Advised on a premises licence application for a retail store in an overprovision area of Glasgow. Appeared before the Licensing Board in Glasgow in relation to the contested licensing application.

Richard has over 25 years’ specialist experience advising businesses across the remote and land-based gambling sectors. His clients include start-ups, multinational gambling operators, online casinos, betting businesses, software developers, B2B and platform providers, prize-draw operators, investors and listed companies. He advises on UK Gambling Commission operating-licence applications and variations, compliance assessments, regulatory investigations and licence reviews, changes of corporate control, AML and safer-gambling requirements, advertising and marketing, gambling software and B2B licensing, prize competitions and free draws, corporate transactions and international businesses entering the British market. He also advises on emerging products and regulatory boundaries, including prediction markets, skill games, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.

• Acted on the licensing and gambling elements of a corporate transaction to acquire a land-based casino in Mayfair for a Nevada-based listed gambling operator.
• Acted on the licensing and gambling elements of a corporate transaction to acquire a chain of casinos in the UK.
• Alongside a corporate colleague, advised an Australian listed gambling operator on the acquisition of an external lottery manager in the UK.
• Advised an Australian listed gambling operator on the gambling elements of an acquisition of a major prize draw operator in the UK.
• Acted for a multinational land-based and remote gambling operator in relation to an operating licence review brought by the Gambling Commission which involved betting integrity and self-exclusion failures.
• Advised a listed remote gambling operator on the change of corporate control applications required as a result of its acquisition by a UK PLC.
• Advised a remote casino operator on compliance assessment and licence review relating to anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings.
• Acted for a lottery betting operator on the judicial review of Government legislation making it unlawful to offer bets on the outcome of Euromillions draws.
• Advice to operators of prize competitions, free draws, product promotions, and social gaming products, including drafting promotional terms and conditions.
• Retained by a number of gambling operators to advise on TV, radio, and print marketing material to ensure compliance with BCAP/CAP Codes, LCCP, industry codes, and general consumer law.
• Advised a Hong Kong-based games developer in relation to the categorisation of its game under the Gambling Act 2005 and in relation to a significant number of skill games for release on the Play Store and App Store.
• Advised a leading Irish gambling operator in relation to a proposed acquisition of a GB licensed telephone betting operator. This involved advice on the regulatory actions required when acquiring a Gambling Commission licensed operator.
• Advised an online gambling operator in relation to two complex change of corporate control applications to the Gambling Commission. The first involved a historical application for COCC approval, which had not been made in time and risked the operating licence being revoked.
• Advised a new start-up in relation to an operating licence application for a new pool betting operation focussed on NFL games. Policies and documentation were prepared to support the licence application submitted to the Gambling Commission, which was granted.
• Provided a training session for the senior executives of a remote external lottery manager to brief them on changes to the ASA CAP/BCAP Codes relating to the advertising of gambling products, particularly in relation to children.

Richard acts for leisure and retail clients defending health and safety, food safety, and product safety prosecutions. He also advises on street trading, and taxi and firearms licensing.

• Provided regulatory advice to a retailer relating to preventing sales of alcohol, knives, and other age restricted items in its stores.
• Advised on a premises licence application for a retail store in an overprovision area of Glasgow. Appeared before the Licensing Board in Glasgow in relation to the contested licensing application.
• Advised a large retail client in relation to volume TENS applications for Christmas extensions to sell alcohol.
• Advising street trading groups regarding changes to street trading zoning and licensing in the vicinity of football stadia.

Richard has key expertise in licensing applications and advocacy for pubs, nightclubs, bars, and hotel chains nationally.

• Advised on the licensing of large outdoor Festival No. 6 in Portmeirion, Wales, despite significant residential opposition.
• Represented a nightclub in Manchester in relation to a summary licence review brought by GMP following a violent incident (stabbing) at the premises.
• Advised a cruise ship operator on the legality of permitting smoking in its casinos aboard ships departing the UK and sailing in territorial and international waters. This was a complex matter involving advice on smoking laws in the UK, in and outside territorial waters.
• Acted for a longstanding live music venue in Manchester in relation to a noise abatement notice appeal.
• Successful in appealing the issue of a noise abatement notice for a bar in Tameside and persuading the Council to withdraw the notice.

Recognised by Chambers UK for Gaming 2021–2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Gaming and Betting 2020–2027

Holder of the International Compliance Association “Specialist Certificate in Money Laundering Risk in Betting and Gaming”