SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced the newly appointed members of the ‘Industry Forum’ to provide greater insights and feedback from licensed operators.
The initiative was launched by UKGC Chairman Marcus Boyle in September 2023, to establish an Industry Forum providing feedback from licensed operators accommodating new regulatory and compliance demands across their platforms.
The Industry Forum is recognised as the UKGC’s fourth ‘special advisory’, in which the regulator is currently supported by the Lived Experience Panel, the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, and the Digital Advisory Panel.
At the close of 2023, the Commission confirmed the appointment of Nick Rust (OBE), former Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), as the first chair of the Industry Forum.
The former Managing Director of Ladbrokes UK, Coral Group, and BSkyB Gaming, Rust will serve a three-year tenure as inaugural chair of the Industry Forum.
The Commission announced that Rust will lead a panel of nine members formed by:
- Tony Boulton – Director of Public Affairs, MERKUR UK
- Kirsty Caldwell – Founder of BetSmart Consultancy
- Charles Cohen – CEO and Founder of DoTrust Compliance
- Ashley Padgett – Director of Compliance, Flutter UK and Ireland
- Mark Pearson – Media Director, Betfred
- Nigel Roddis – Managing Director of Britbet
- Leo Walker – Customer Operations Director, Entain PLC
- Helen Walton – Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of G.Games
- David Williams – Director of Public Affairs at Rank Group PLC
Nick Rust, Chair of the Forum, said: “We had more than 40 applications from across the gambling industry from people wanting to take an active role in the inaugural Industry Forum. It was difficult to leave quite a few of those people out, but I’m delighted with the quality and experience of the appointees, and hope as a group we can offer perspectives from across all parts of the industry which the Commission can draw upon to help evolve and improve its performance as the regulator.”
The first meeting of the Forum will be held on 21 March, where members will begin the work of sharing their insight and experience with the Commission.
