The UK Gambling Commission has warned gambling operators that they’ll face stiffer financial penalties and possible license revocation if they don’t step up their game.

On Tuesday, UKGC CEO Sarah Harrison (pictured) gave a speech (read it here) at the regulator’s first Raising Standards Conference in Birmingham, in which she urged commercial gambling operators to accelerate policies that make consumers the focus of future business decisions.

Harrison praised some operators for “heading in the right direction” but believes “the pace of change within the industry needs to quicken.” Harrison said the gambling industry wasn’t alone in facing this call for improvement, but “where markets are dysfunctional, then the government will intervene.”

Harrison said her ambition was to see operators compete not only in providing the best odds, but also the best service. Operators should be asking themselves ‘what does the consumer need’ rather than ‘what does the UKGC expect.’