Financial Crime Specialist Faudemer Appointed Chair Of Jersey Regulator

Barry Faudemer has been appointed chairman of the Jersey Gambling Commission (JGC) for a four-year term, succeeding Cyril Whelan, who completed his maximum 10-year tenure last November.

Whelan remained with the Commission as its agent while a permanent chair was recruited. Faudemer joined the JGC board in August 2025.

The appointment brings a financial crime specialist to the leadership of Jersey’s gambling regulator, which oversees the island’s remote and land-based commercial gambling sectors as well as social and charitable gambling.

Faudemer Brings Financial Crime Experience

Faudemer spent 13 years leading enforcement at the Jersey Financial Services Commission before moving into private consulting. During that period, he served as the organisation’s money-laundering reporting officer and worked on regulatory investigations and financial intelligence.

He previously spent 27 years with the States of Jersey Police, where he led the joint Police and Customs Financial Crimes Unit. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Faudemer studied money-laundering typologies and terrorist financing.

He was also involved in identifying anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist-financing risks for Jersey’s first national risk-assessment working group. Faudemer founded the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum and is chief executive of Baker Regulatory Services.

His publicly reported comments have largely focused on financial crime rather than online gambling.

In January, Faudemer said internet and telephone networks had made it easier for fraudsters to target people at home, while banks could be slow to address vulnerabilities that were being exploited.

The UK National Crime Agency estimates that 67% of reported UK fraud is cyber-enabled, although there is no equivalent figure specific to the gambling industry.

Faudemer previously warned during the rapid shift towards online business activity during the Covid-19 pandemic that increasing unlawful activity would require regulators to strengthen compliance and enforcement.

JGC Updates Player-Protection Requirements

The JGC regulates remote gambling, land-based commercial gambling and social or charitable gambling. The Channel Islands Lottery is outside its jurisdiction.

Its responsibilities include ensuring gambling products are fair, protecting children and vulnerable people, and preventing fraud, money laundering and other gambling-related crime. The legislation also requires the Commission to protect Jersey’s commercial and financial reputation without placing undue burdens on licensees.

The Commission recorded nine direct interactions concerning problem gambling involving six people during 2025. It also said that three or four Islanders a year arrive at its offices in crisis.

At the end of 2025, the Commission reported three remote gambling operators. These operators provide regular operational information, including data on self-exclusions and other reportable events.

The JGC board is no longer responsible for frontline licensing decisions. In June 2025, it delegated permitted functions to the chief executive while retaining oversight of budgets, policy and material cases.

In October 2025, the regulator revised its remote responsible gambling code for the first time since 2019. Operators are required to provide customers with accessible information about player protection and available support services.

They must offer loss, deposit and session limits, while increases to customer-set limits are subject to a 24-hour waiting period.

Self-exclusion periods must run for between six months and at least five years. Customers seeking to reactivate an account must contact customer service and then complete a further one-day cooling-off period.

Operators must monitor indicators of gambling harm and assess affordability, source of funds and vulnerability before awarding VIP status. Staff must not receive rewards based on a customer’s losses, spending or gambling activity.