License Revocation

Howard Mason David

By Dr. Sarah Chen · Fact-checked by Mark Sullivan, Corporate Investigations Editor

The Gambling Commission revoked the Personal Functional Licence of Howard Mason David on 5 March 2025. The action followed a review which found his dismissal for gross misconduct was inconsistent with licensing objectives and that he failed to report the dismissal.

Howard Mason David enforcement action
UKGC enforcement action - March 2025

Summary

What This Means for Consumers

This action doesn't directly affect a specific gambling operator, but it shows the regulator removing individuals it deems unsuitable. It's a measure to protect the integrity of the industry and, by extension, consumers.

Full Details

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) took its most severe regulatory action by revoking the Personal Functional Licence (PFL) held by Howard Mason David. The decision, effective from 5 March 2025, means he can't perform his licensed role within the British gambling industry. This action followed a formal licence review by the regulator under section 119 of the Gambling Act 2005.

The Commission's investigation uncovered two main failings. First, it found the circumstances that led to his dismissal for gross misconduct were inconsistent with the licensing objective of preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder. Second, Howard Mason David didn't report his dismissal to the Commission, which is a direct breach of his licence conditions. It's a requirement for licence holders to promptly report such key events.

Key Findings

  • Personal Functional Licence was revoked by the regulator.
  • The action was finalised on 5 March 2025.
  • The decision was based on a dismissal for gross misconduct.
  • The licensee failed to report the dismissal, which is a breach of licence conditions.

Timeline

Enforcement action timeline — Source: UKGC Regulatory Actions Register
Action Date 5 March 2025
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Written by

Research & Data Lead

PhD in Public Policy, London School of Economics. Member of the Royal Statistical Society. Published in the Journal of Gambling Studies and Addiction Research & Theory.

Dr. Chen holds a PhD in Public Policy from the LSE and has 8 years of experience in quantitative research, including 3 years as a Research Fellow at the Responsible Gambling Trust analysing operator self-exclusion data.