The CMS gambling group stands out for its ‘deep industry knowledge’ and full-service approach, leveraging the firm’s broad expertise across commercial, regulatory, tax, and intellectual property disciplines to enhance its gambling practice. The team is further strengthened by its significant international reach. The practice is led by David Zeffman, a seasoned advisor known for his commercial and regulatory knowledge. Rob Willis is a key figure in corporate matters, with a focus on M&A, joint ventures, fundraisings, and corporate reorganisations. Co-head of the tax team, Stephen Hignett, brings valuable experience in UK tax issues relevant to the gambling industry. Tamsin Blow is noted for her expertise in navigating enforcement actions by the Gambling Commission. Anna Soilleux-Mills offers deep regulatory knowledge, while Alasdair Lamb is recognised for advising prominent clients on regulatory and compliance matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Tamsin Blow is a brilliant regulatory/litigation partner.'
  • 'Anna Soilleux-Mills is a great commercial lawyer.'
  • ‘This is one of the premier UK law firms in this area. It has significant expertise and experience, deep "bench strength", and a practical approach to problem-solving. In particular, it is very strong on international matters.’

  • ‘Quick to respond and goes above and beyond when up against tight timeframes.’

  • ‘Alasdair Lamb is calm, practical and solutions-focussed. ’

  • ‘The team's sector knowledge is exceptional to the degree that they understand the operational implications of the advice they give.’

  • ‘CMS has global reach and is able to rope in excellent lawyers almost anywhere in the world at the bat of an eyelid. The gaming and gambling team in the UK are used to working on large cross-border matters very efficiently. We've worked on countless deals with them seamlessly.’

  • ‘David Zeffman is a senior statesman figure on all matters regulatory and licensing in the gambling industry. He is erudite, serious, consistent and always reachable.'

Key clients

  • 888 William Hill
  • Amelco
  • Anaxi
  • Ascot Racecourse
  • AsianLogic
  • Avia Games Inc.
  • Bally's (Gamesys)
  • Bestofthebest
  • BetFred
  • BetKings
  • Bragg Gaming
  • Flutter
  • Hard Rock Digital
  • The Hong Kong Jockey Club
  • IBID Group (comprising Pragmatic Solutions, Pragmatic Play and DAZNBet)
  • IMG Arena
  • Instant Win Gaming
  • Kambi
  • Kindred Group plc (operator of 32Red and Unibet)
  • LiveScore Group
  • Lottoland
  • Lottomatica
  • Matchbook
  • Noel Hayden
  • Pollard Banknote
  • Rank Group plc
  • RAW iGaming
  • Royal Panda
  • Sega Sammy Holdings
  • Starting Price Regulatory Commission
  • SIS
  • Skill On Net
  • Spreadex
  • TEAM
  • Tom Hall
  • Virtually Human
  • Voidbridge
  • Videoslots
  • White Hat Gaming

Work highlights

  • Advised Hard Rock Digital on its landmark partnership with Playtech, the leading platform, content and services provider to the online gaming industry.
  • Advised Instant Win Gaming Limited, a leading supplier of online instant win games, on its agreement to partner with multi-national lottery operator Allwyn.
  • Advised gambling operator Bally's on its strategic partnership with Swedish sports betting technology and services provider, Kambi.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
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Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

David Zeffman

Other key lawyers

Rob Willis, Stephen Hignett, Tamsin Blow, Anna Soilleux-Mills, Alasdair Lamb