British MPs heavily involved in campaigns for greater gambling reform are reportedly concerned about the appointment of new Allwyn UK Interim Chief Executive Officer, Phil Walker.
It is the latest bone that MPs Iain Duncan Smith and Dawn Butler have to pick with the gambling industry, with both taking issue about Walker’s time at William Hill.
In a letter written to the Gambling Commission, seen by national publication The Guardian, the duo describe feeling “deeply concerned” about the new Allwyn UK appointment.
Allwyn UK has confirmed to SBC News that the Commission, as well as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) were informed of this appointment before it was announced.
Walker held senior executive roles at William Hill for over four years, and was also Chief Commercial Officer at 888 Holdings (now evoke) between 2023-2024, following the firm’s acquisition of William Hill in 2021.
MPs take issue with Allwyn UK CEO’s past
He was the group’s UK and Ireland Managing Director when it was ordered to pay a £19.2m settlement to the UK’s Gambling Commission in March 2023 for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
This remains the biggest figure on record that a company has had to pay in the Commission’s history, and came about due to social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
An investigation found a plethora of KYC failures, with the then-CEO of the Commission, Andrew Rhodes, noting that the regulator gave “serious consideration to licence suspension”.
Additionally, Walker himself was handed a formal warning in connection with the case following a review of his Personal Management Licence (PML).
The Commission, who announced this over a year after the initial settlement, confirmed that he would keep his PML. A PML holder having their licence revoked or surrendering it themselves is relatively rare but not unheard of.
Walker remains a Non-Executive Director of City Gaming according to his LinkedIn, and will hold the role until the beginning of next month – something Allwyn confirmed with SBC News that Walker had already agreed to do before taking on the position of Interim CEO. City Gaming is a business which owns adult gaming centre (AGC) operator Game Nation.
This is also a problem for Duncan Smith and Butler, as it puts Walker at odds with current Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is looking to scrap the Aim to Permit rule in order to reduce the amount of betting shops on the high street.
Given the 2023 settlement mentioned above, some may be able to see why the MPs have taken issue with the appointment.
However, given Duncan Smith and Butler’s vocal dislike of the current state of betting regulations and industry practices, there is also every chance that the MPs would criticise any CEO appointment at the lottery operator with a background in betting.
The National Lottery is also regulated separately under the National Lottery Act, rather than the Gambling Act.
And in fairness to Allwyn UK, lottery is a form of gambling – so it makes sense to have someone with direct experience of this industry, and at no less than one of the UK’s oldest and largest retail betting brands, to take on the leadership role.
While this is a topic that should be handled with care, particularly when it comes to appointing someone to the helm of the company that runs the National Lottery, it is not as though Allwyn UK would look for someone lacking leadership experience in the industry.
Also, many of the country’s biggest gambling operators have been penalised by the regulator over the years. William Hill’s penalty came just a year after one of its biggest rivals, Ladbrokes Coral owner Entain, was charged £17.2m for similar failures.
An Allwyn UK spokesperson told SBC News: “As we navigate an increasingly competitive environment, Phil Walker brings valuable operational, digital and marketing experience alongside a significant understanding of our operating landscape.
“His appointment will help deliver the next stage of growth and innovation of The National Lottery, and we look forward to welcoming Phil to the role of interim CEO on 7th September.”
The National Lottery operator also confirmed that the search process for a Permanent CEO has commenced.
