Harris Hagan

Harris Hagan is the only specialist gambling and leisure law firm in the City of London.

The firm: ‘Absolutely the number one betting and gaming firm’ Harris Hagan is the only specialist gambling law firm in the City of London. The firm was established in 2004 and is driven by the long-term sustainability and success of the gambling and leisure industries it cherishes. Harris Hagan has the largest dedicated gambling legal and regulatory team in the UK. The firm offers unparalleled legal experience, knowledge and commercial understanding of the gambling industry. Harris Hagan understands not only the law associated with betting, gaming and lotteries, but the businesses behind it. It anticipates its clients’ compliance needs and provides pragmatic, commercial advice informed by a deep understanding of the gambling industry and the legal, political and regulatory environment. Harris Hagan does everything it can for its clients to achieve the best possible commercial, licensing and regulatory outcomes, drawing upon all our expertise and experience.

The firm’s business is gambling law, compliance and regulation. Harris Hagan views itself as a business within the gambling industry, which happens to be a law firm, rather than external advisors to the gambling industry. The firm’s future success and sustainability are inextricably intertwined with that of the gambling industry.

Harris Hagan’s clients’ needs are always at the heart of what it does. The firm achieves solutions to its short- term regulatory issues, whilst never losing sight of its longer-term reputation and commercial interests. This philosophy has allowed it to grow the firm into the largest dedicated gambling legal and regulatory team in UK private practice. Many of the world’s largest international gambling businesses rely on the firm to help them make the right decisions in a fast-changing and challenging gambling legal, regulatory and political environment. Harris Hagan combines expertise, experience and enthusiasm to solve its clients’ most complex challenges, wherever and whenever they arise.

The firm has a longstanding commitment to the industry, both operators and regulators, in the development of gambling law, legislative and regulatory policy and compliance through its work with the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA), the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG), GamCare and International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).

Work: The firm has unprecedented licensing experience having made an unequalled number of licence applications over many years to the Gambling Commission and its predecessor the Gaming Board for Great Britain for gambling licences for land-based and online clients. In particular, the firm is noted for its pre-eminence in advising on highly complex regulatory issues, including numerous Gambling Commission regulatory compliance and enforcement investigations and regulatory settlements. Advising leading gambling businesses on gambling licensing, regulation, compliance and enforcement is what we do all day, every day. Harris Hagan is heavily engaged in helping its clients to achieve licensing and regulatory compliance, and it defend its clients from regulatory enforcement action wherever necessary.

The firm is regularly engaged as part of mergers and acquisitions in the sector and advises on a wide range of commercial contracts. The firm has also advised overseas regulatory authorities and governments on the regulation of gambling and assisted with draft legislation.

Harris Hagan goes above and beyond pure legal advice by providing supplementary services to clients to assist them with staying abreast of legal and regulatory developments and priorities. The firm offers various training services with the aim of ensuring that personal licence holders, other key staff or a gambling business’ Board or Compliance Committee, understand the obligations and responsibilities that come with being licensed by the Gambling Commission.

International: Harris Hagan has an international reputation as trusted advisors to many of the world’s largest gambling and leisure operators and suppliers in all areas of land-based and online gambling, many of whom are listed on the London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange. The firm’s ability to provide a full service to the industry, together with its first-class track record, has been evidenced by the acquisition of major new international clients and the firm has been instructed on a number of important cross-border corporate and commercial transactions.

The firm’s lawyers speak regularly at international conferences and frequently contribute to specialist publications, including as editors of the Chambers Global Guide to Gaming Law. Julian Harris is a Past President of IAGA. John Hagan is a Trustee and former Deputy Chairman of GamCare, former Chairman of IGRG and a Past President of IAGA. Bahar Alaeddini is General Counsel of IAGA and Global Gaming Women. Hilary Stewart-Jones is a member of IAGA and IMGL and contributor to Smith and Monkcom: The Law of Gambling (Fourth Edition).

Clients: Harris Hagan’s clients include online gambling operators and suppliers, games developers, casinos, bookmakers, gambling equipment manufacturers, affiliates, social gaming operators, eSports operators, payment processors, start-ups, investors, financial institutions, charities, law firms and governmental organisations. The firm is frequently instructed by other leading City and overseas law firms and private equity firms, to provide specialist gambling and leisure expertise in relation to corporate transactions. The firm also undertakes licensing work for casinos, hotels, restaurants and bars.

Harris Hagan is committed to the continuous development of its core gambling practice whilst remaining at the forefront of advances in the gambling and leisure industry. In doing so, it has acquired some notable and fast maturing technology clients, particularly in the online gambling sector.