About HYPES
HYPES SB UK LTD is a London-based, social-first online sports betting operator preparing to launch in the United Kingdom under a UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) operating licence. We are backed by Reazon Holdings, a profitable Tokyo-headquartered technology group with operations across Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. Our ambition is to redefine sports betting as a community-driven entertainment experience, built on rigorous compliance and player protection from day one.
We are already working with leading UK gambling counsel and a specialist compliance consultancy on our UKGC operating licence application, so the Head of Compliance will not be the most experienced compliance person in the room when it counts most — and we think that is the right setup for a candidate who wants to grow into a CCO role over the next 18-24 months.
The Opportunity
We are appointing a Head of Compliance to serve as our regulatory "right person" before the UKGC, drive our operating licence application alongside our external advisors, and build HYPES's compliance function from scratch. You will hold the Specified Management Office for the gambling regulatory compliance function under LCCP 1.2.1 and will apply for a UKGC Personal Management Licence (PML) promptly upon appointment, with full coaching and support from our external advisors.
Pure legal work (corporate, commercial, employment, IP, contracts) is handled by external specialist counsel; this role is fully focused on compliance, licensing and regulatory engagement. You will own the discipline that determines whether HYPES launches on time and operates with confidence, and you will sit at the centre of a small founding team with direct CEO and Board access.
Key Responsibilities
1. UKGC Licensing & Personal Management Licence (Day-One Mission)
- Drive the UKGC operating licence application alongside our external counsel and consultants
- Apply for and obtain your own PML, and assume the Specified Management Office under LCCP 1.2.1
- Coordinate PML applications for other key persons (CEO, finance, marketing, IT, AML/MLRO)
- Determine and operationalise the MLRO model
- Brief and direct external gambling counsel and consultants
2. Regulatory Compliance & Operations
- Ensure end-to-end compliance with LCCP and Gambling Act 2005, including post-White-Paper reforms
- Build and run the AML/CTF programme aligned with MLR 2017, POCA 2002, Terrorism Act 2000 and JMLSG guidance
- Operate the safer gambling framework: customer interaction, affordability checks, GAMSTOP, self-exclusion, statutory levy
- Own UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 compliance
- Sign off marketing under CAP/BCAP, ASA and IGRG codes
- Ensure platform meets Remote Technical Standards (RTS)
3. Policy, Training & Culture
- Author and maintain the full compliance policy stack
- Roll out company-wide compliance training and competency testing
- Drive a culture of compliance from the top
4. Regulator & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as primary point of contact with the UKGC
- Engage with industry bodies, test houses and external auditors
- Manage regulatory aspects of partner relationships
5. Risk, Audit & Reporting
- Run annual and event-driven compliance and AML risk assessments
- Plan and execute internal compliance audits
- Lead incident response and breach notification
- Deliver decision-grade compliance reporting to CEO, Board and Reazon Group
6. Cross-Functional Leadership
- Embed compliance into Product, Tech, Trading, Marketing, CS and Finance workflows
- Coordinate with Reazon Group entities on cross-border compliance
- Operate as a one-person function at launch, then recruit and develop a team
Must-Have Requirements
- Hands-on involvement in at least one UKGC operating licence application, material variation, or PML process (as lead, deputy or active contributor)
- PML eligibility with a clean professional and personal record
- 4-6 years in a UK-licensed online gambling operator, B2B supplier, the UKGC, or specialist gambling compliance consultancy
- Working knowledge of LCCP, MLR 2017 / JMLSG, POCA, Terrorism Act 2000, UK GDPR, RTS and the safer-gambling framework
- Exposure to UKGC engagement (Key Event reporting, regulatory returns, audits or compliance assessments)
- Founder mindset: able to operate hands-on as a one-person function from launch
- Commercial pragmatism: able to translate regulation into commercial decisions
- Outstanding written and spoken English, high ethical standards
- Challenger mindset: question received industry conventions, design compliance as competitive advantage
- AI-driven operating model: actively design AI into day-to-day work
- Pioneer energy: energised by new products, new teams and a blank page
- Appetite to break the mould and reinvent compliance as a craft
Strongly Preferred
- An existing UKGC PML in good standing
- ICA, ACAMS or equivalent compliance / financial-crime certification, or qualified MLRO experience
- Sports betting (fixed-odds, in-play, exchange or pool) compliance experience
- Law degree (LLB / JD) or qualified solicitor (England & Wales)
- Experience with multi-jurisdictional licensing (MGA Malta, IoM, Gibraltar, Ontario, etc.)
- Direct experience implementing the Gambling Act Review White Paper reforms
- Familiarity with the sportsbook supplier ecosystem (sports data, trading, KYC, payments, geolocation)
Nice to Have
- Experience launching a brand-new B2C operator or entering a new regulated market
- Familiarity with social, community-driven or media-style betting products
- Interest in or exposure to Japanese / Asia-Pacific markets
- Multi-language capability
What We Offer
- Salary range: £80,000 – £100,000 base, plus discretionary performance bonus
- Founding-team membership with direct CEO and Board access
- Long-term backing of Reazon Holdings — runway to build the function the right way
- A small, AI-native founding team that prizes pace, intellectual honesty and getting things done
- Hybrid working from our London office
Right to Work
UK-based candidates only at this stage. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship; we expect to expand sponsorship capability later in 2026.
How to Apply
Please send your CV together with a short cover note covering:
(i) your most recent UKGC operating licence experience
(ii) your current PML status (held / applied / eligible)
(iii) your earliest realistic start date
We review applications on a rolling basis and will move quickly for candidates we are excited about.