What Harris Hagan does

Harris Hagan is a specialist UK gambling law firm founded in May 2004 by John Hagan and Julian Harris, headquartered in the City of London at Hamilton House, 1 Temple Avenue (EC4Y 0HA). The firm operates as a partnership authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID: 401231) and maintains offices only in London, though it claims a global client footprint. Its practice is organized into six interconnected service lines: Online Gaming, Land-Based Gaming, Licensing, Compliance, Enforcement, and Training, complemented by a Commercial & Corporate practice covering company formation, shareholders' agreements, joint ventures, acquisitions, due diligence, software and white-label agreements, payment processing, affiliate marketing, sponsorship, and privacy policies.

The firm serves land-based and online gambling operators (B2C and B2B), gaming machine manufacturers, betting shops, bingo operators, investors and acquirers (including foreign investors), gambling-sector start-ups, and other law firms requiring specialist gambling law input. Its core offering is expert human advisory rather than technology: it applies deep regulatory knowledge under the Gambling Act 2005 to licensing applications (non-remote and remote operating licences, personal and premises licences, change of corporate control), compliance advisory and assessments, enforcement defence (including remedial compliance programmes, suspension orders, licence reviews, regulatory settlements, and Gambling Commission representation), and tailored training programmes covering AML, responsible gambling, advertising, and senior management accountability.

Harris Hagan generates revenue through engagement-based professional fees tied to matter complexity and scope, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting gambling operators, betting shops, gaming machine manufacturers, investors, and start-ups, augmented by thought-leadership content marketing (a regularly updated blog, contributions to Chambers Global Practice Guide, The Legal 500 Country Comparative Guide, and Thomson Reuters Practical Law) and participation in industry events (VIXIO Global Regulatory Awards, IAGA Gaming Summit, ICE Barcelona, G2E). The firm has been continuously ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK and Tier 1 in The Legal 500 since 2004 and claims to operate the largest dedicated gambling legal and regulatory team in the UK.

Name

Harris Hagan

Legal name

Harris Hagan

Website

https://harrishagan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harris Hagan is a London-based specialist UK gambling law firm founded in 2004 that provides licensing, compliance, enforcement, training, and commercial legal services to land-based and online gambling operators, suppliers, investors, and start-ups under the Gambling Act 2005.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Gambling Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Gaming Regulatory Consulting & Advisory (MPAEAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Investigations, Enforcement Response & Legal Representation (MPAEAOAM), Regulatory Reporting, Audit & Assurance Services (MPAEAOAC)

Keywords

• Gambling law services
• Gambling licensing advisory
• Regulatory compliance
• Gambling enforcement defense
• Gaming legal counsel

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services including licensing, compliance, enforcement, training, and commercial & corporate advice for gambling businesses. Revenue is generated through engagement-based legal fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harris Hagan is a specialist gambling law firm providing legal advisory services to gambling operators, suppliers, and investors. The firm delivers licensing applications, regulatory compliance advice, enforcement defence, tailored training, and commercial and corporate legal support for both land-based and online gambling businesses under the Gambling Act 2005.

Product overview

Harris Hagan is a specialist gambling law firm offering a unified suite of legal services rather than a software product. The firm provides six interconnected practice areas: Online Gaming, Land-Based Gaming, Licensing, Compliance, Enforcement, and Training services for gambling businesses. The Commercial & Corporate practice complements these by handling corporate transactions, agreements, and commercial matters. Together, these services form a comprehensive gambling law practice covering regulatory advisory, licensing applications, compliance support, enforcement defence, professional training, and corporate transactional work for the gambling industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land-Based Gaming Legal Services Legal advisory for land-based casinos, bingo operators, betting shops, and gaming machine manufacturers covering licensing, compliance, enforcement, and premises licensing under the Gambling Act 2005.
• Online Gaming Legal Services Legal advisory services for online gambling operators covering B2C and B2B operations, including regulatory compliance, licensing applications, and ongoing regulatory matters.
• Licensing Services Comprehensive licensing advisory covering non-remote and remote operating licences, personal licence applications, premises licence applications, change of corporate control, and licensing implications of emerging technologies including blockchain-based casinos.
• Compliance Services Advisory on gambling licensing, regulation, compliance and enforcement including general compliance requirements, policies and procedures, regulatory returns, corporate governance, compliance assessments, and investigations.
• Enforcement Services Regulatory enforcement defence including remedial compliance programmes, interim suspension orders, operating licence reviews, personal licence reviews, regulatory settlements, and sanctions representation before the Gambling Commission.
• Training Services Tailored training programmes for personal licence holders, compliance staff, and gambling business boards covering licensing requirements, anti-money laundering, responsible gambling, advertising, senior management, and personal licence training.
• Commercial & Corporate Services Corporate and commercial legal services including company formation, shareholders' agreements, joint ventures, acquisitions, due diligence, software licence agreements, white-label agreements, IT services, payment processing, affiliate marketing, sponsorship agreements, terms and conditions, and privacy policies.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VIXIO GamblingComplianceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Harris Hagan was Official Category Sponsor of VIXIO Global Regulatory Awards 2021, sponsoring the Compliance Team of the Year Award.
• VIXIO GamblingCompliance Executive Advisory BoardminorOthersBahar Alaeddini serves as Founding Member of the VIXIO GamblingCompliance Executive Advisory Board (2022-present).
• International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA)coreOthersJulian Harris served as IAGA President (2012/13) and is currently Counselor. Bahar Alaeddini serves on the Conference Programme Committee (2022-present) and as Assistant Treasurer (2025). David Whyte and Jessica Wilson are members. Harris Hagan is Silver sponsor of IAGA Gaming Summit.
• Global Gaming WomenminorOthersBahar Alaeddini and Jessica Wilson are members of Global Gaming Women.
• The City of London Solicitors' CompanyminorOthersBahar Alaeddini is a member of The City of London Solicitors' Company.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• VIXIO GamblingCompliance: Regulatory intelligence and publishing business covering the global gambling industry, with which Harris Hagan has an established sponsorship and advisory relationship (Julian Harris is a former IAGA president; Bahar Alaeddini sits on VIXIO's Executive Advisory Board). Comparable ecosystem participant that supports, rather than competes with, the firm's regulatory advisory work.
• Regulus Partners: Independent gambling and gaming advisory firm providing regulatory, commercial, and strategic advice to operators and investors. Not a law firm, but a closely adjacent specialist frequently engaged in parallel with UK gambling counsel, including Harris Hagan, on regulatory and transactional matters.
• H2 Gambling Capital: Specialist gambling industry data, analytics, and advisory firm serving operators, suppliers, and investors with market intelligence and consulting. Adjacent to Harris Hagan rather than a direct legal competitor, but commonly engaged alongside gambling counsel on licensing due diligence and transactional mandates.

Direct peers

• Wiggin LLP: UK media, entertainment, and technology-focused law firm with a dedicated gambling and gaming regulatory practice serving operators and suppliers. Directly comparable to Harris Hagan in scope of UK gambling licensing, compliance, and enforcement advisory work, making it the closest head-to-head specialist competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with a recognised gambling and gaming practice advising operators, lenders, and investors on licensing, regulation, and cross-border transactions. Comparable to Harris Hagan on large-scale and cross-border gambling mandates, while operating a far broader full-service platform.
• Ashurst: International law firm with a gaming, betting, and lotteries practice advising operators on regulatory, licensing, and transactional matters. Competes with Harris Hagan for UK and European gambling mandates, particularly in M&A and regulatory investigations.
• Mishcon de Reya: London-based full-service law firm with a notable gambling and gaming regulatory team advising operators on licensing, compliance, and disputes. Overlaps with Harris Hagan on UK gambling regulatory mandates while also serving clients across corporate, litigation, and private client matters.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with a gaming practice spanning licensing, regulation, and cross-border transactions for gambling operators and suppliers. Comparable to Harris Hagan for multi-jurisdictional gambling mandates and M&A work, but operates as a generalist international firm rather than a UK gambling specialist.
• Bird & Bird: Global law firm with a recognised gaming and gambling practice serving online operators, suppliers, and investors. Comparable to Harris Hagan because it competes for the same UK and European gambling licensing, compliance, and regulatory mandates, but offers a much broader full-service platform that cross-sells adjacent practice areas.
• CMS: Top-tier international law firm with an established gaming and gambling regulatory practice advising operators, suppliers, and investors across European jurisdictions. Comparable to Harris Hagan on licensing and compliance work, while offering broader corporate, tax, and technology capabilities.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-hagan

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harris Hagan