The Chief executive officer of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is stepping down, leaving the major gambling regulatory body of the UK headless amid the ongoing Government review of the country’s gambling legislation.
Neil McArthur announced that his resignation will take immediate effect and the search for an interim CEO is expected to start soon. Mr McArthur is leaving the organisation after spending almost 15 years with it, as he became part of the UKGC in 2006 and occupied the role of General Counsel before taking over the Chief Executive Officer position in 2018.
His departure from the company comes at a crucial time for the UK gambling watchdog that has faced criticism for being unfit to serve its purposes and failing to adapt to the actual needs of the industry at a time when online and mobile gambling have been on the rise. At the time he headed the regulator, the UKGC has gone through many changes, especially when it comes to challenges associate with the rapidly changing environment on the digital gambling market that is getting more and more attractive.
As Casino Guardian reported, most recently, the UK Gambling Commission was criticised for an alleged failure to ensure proper oversight of Football Index, even after the regulator suspended the gambling operator’s licence. According to reports, the departure of Mr McArthur is not related to this issue.
McArthur Departs from the UK Gambling Regulator at Turbulent Times
With Neil McArthur stepping down from the CEO position, the UKGC’s chief operating officer, Sally Jones, and the deputy chief executive officer, Sarah Gardner, will share the role of acting CEOs. A new permanent CEO is set to be hired only after a new chair is appointed by the Commission. The term of Bill Moyes, the current chairman, is set to come to an end later in 2021.
As CEO of the key gambling regulatory body in the UK, Neil McArthur has overseen the Commission’s efforts to enhance customer protection against problem gambling and gambling-related harm. Under his leadership, the UKGC implemented stronger age verification checks, banned the use of credit cards for gambling transactions and, most recently, unveiled new requirements aimed at establishing some protection to online products’ design.
While being on top of the regulator, Mr McArthur faced various hot topics, including the concern about the impact of gambling on children and vulnerable people, especially when it comes to gambling advertising and football clubs’ sponsorship agreements with gambling operators. At the time of his tenure, the Gambling Commission has also been dealing with the mounting pressure associated with the use of so-called VIP schemes.
As mentioned above, the UKGC has lately found itself under severe criticism, with campaigners claiming it actually does not do enough to prevent the gambling industry from exploiting children and vulnerable people, not to mention the critical report released by the National Audit Office (NAO).
- Author
Daniel Williams
