Stephen Monkcom

Profile

Stephen Monkcom is a specialist in gambling and licensing work and has practiced almost exclusively in these areas since 1996. He is recognised as a leader in these fields in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.  He is also ranked in Legal Business’s Legal Experts. His practice covers all the main regulatory areas of betting, gaming and lotteries (including excise duty aspects) and of alcohol and entertainment licensing and he advises and represents a number of major businesses in the gambling, telecoms, newspaper and media sectors and also the licensed trade. He also regularly advises gambling trade associations. His work covers both ‘bricks and mortar’ and online offering of services.

Stephen started his career at the Bar with a broad-based common law practice covering civil litigation, but with some crime and family work.

Experience

Internet gambling: Stephen has been involved in advising on internet gambling in all its forms from the earliest days right up to the present time where the impact of the Gambling Act 2005 is the key consideration

Betting exchanges: he has been involved since the early days of betting exchanges advising on the regulatory and excise duty implications of what was a novel form of betting service and on various issues (including excise duty issues) which have emerged as the industry has matured

Numbers Betting:  he was a member of the legal team that successfully represented bookmaking interests in a challenge to the lawfulness of the ‘49 betting product

Fixed Odds Betting Terminals:  he was also a member of the legal team that successfully represented bookmaking interests in a dispute over the legality of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals

Fantasy football:  he appeared in a series of cases relating to the excise duty liability of newspaper Fantasy football competitions

Lotteries: he has advised extensively on all aspects of lotteries both as sales promotion tools and as gambling offerings in their own right

Bingo:  he has advised extensively on developments in the game of bingo, especially on recent post 2005 Act developments of the game

Alcohol/entertainment licensing: he has advised on issues relating to the transitional provisions under the Licensing Act 2003 and has been involved in committee hearings and appeals to magistrates under that Act

Editor, Smith & Monkcom: The Law of Gambling Tottel Publishing, 3rd edition 2009

Editor in Chief, Smith & Monkcom: The Law of Betting, Gaming and Lotteries 2nd edition 2001

Contributor, Halsbury's Laws of England Vol 4(1) Betting 4th edition 2002 (Reissue)

Consulting editor, Licensing Review

Memberships

Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association

Directory Quotes

'the 'first-class' gambling and licensing specialist Stephen Monkcom continues to advise commercial businesses on betting and gaming regulatory matters'
Legal 500 2010

'A recognised specialist in gaming law' 
Legal 500 2009

'As good as many leaders in the field' 
Legal 500 2008

'Clients comment that Stephen Monkcom is the `leading authority at the Bar on gambling law' 
Legal 500 2007

 'At Tanfield Chambers Stephen Monkcom enjoys a superb reputation for both online and ‘bricks and mortar’ matters for clients in the gambling industry' 
Legal 500 2006

'Experienced in all main regulatory areas of betting, gaming and lotteries, as well as alcohol and entertainment licensing.  He is particularly respected amongst peers for his comprehensive knowledge of gambling and for his fine written work'
Chambers UK 2011

'Talented and highly intellectual, Stephen Monkcom is a very clever man who knows his stuff backwards and has great written work.  He focuses entirely on gambling issues and works to a very high standard' 
Chambers UK 2010

'At the top of the pile for advisory work...is seen as an impressive academic with an excellent legal mind' 
Chambers UK 2009

'Stephen Monkcom… is considered by contemporaries to be ‘an absolute authority on the law' 
Chambers UK 2008

'Highly sought after for his advice' 
Chambers UK 2003/4

Stephen is listed as an expert in Licensing, Gaming and Betting in Legal Experts 2008, 2009 and 2010.