*Closes 13th March*
The Chair will lead the Commissioners of the Gambling Commission to deliver its statutory objectives and formulate and implement its strategic aims. The Chair’s responsibilities are:
- Strategic leadership of the Board in setting the overall direction, policy and plans for the Gambling Commission;
- Supporting and holding the executive to account to ensure delivery of the Commission’s business plan and forward strategy;
- Encouraging high standards of propriety and promoting the efficient and effective use of resources throughout the organisation; and
- Leading and motivating the Commissioners, and the Chief Executive, in undertaking their roles, including agreeing objectives and undertaking annual appraisals.
To execute the role successfully you will need the skills and abilities essential for chairing a high-profile public organisation as well as an understanding of fast moving, highly competitive markets and a knowledge of regulated industries. While you may not yet have held a similar non-executive role, you will have senior equivalent experience.
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate that they can command the confidence of the companies and organisations within the gambling industry and work constructively with the National Lottery operator, as well as have empathy and respect within the consumer landscape. A knowledge of the workings of Government would be a particular advantage. The candidate does not, however, need experience working directly within the gambling industry or in organisations aiming to tackle gambling harm. Where a candidate does have experience of the sector, they should be able to demonstrate how they will act in an impartial way.
The role demands close working relationships with diverse stakeholders, however, the candidate must also demonstrate the ability to ensure sufficient detachment to be seen as independent and driving standards within the industry.
Chair Gambling Commission
Number of vacancies x 1
Time commitment x 2 day(s) per week
Remuneration: £59,950 per annum
Length of term x 5 years
Application deadline: 11:59pm on 13 March 2026
The Priorities
Key priorities for the Chair at present include:
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Appropriately engaging with DCMS on effectively implementing the gambling reform priorities.
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Continuing to drive improvements in consumer protection and prevention of harm, and evaluating the impact and success of changes already introduced.
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Tackling Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and illegal gambling related issues.
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Overseeing the delivery and ongoing regulation of the 4th National Lottery Licence.
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Leading the Board and organisation at a time of significant scrutiny.
Organisation description
The successful candidate will lead on the strategy and governance of this executive body and the delivery of its objectives. They will promote high standards of financial governance, encouraging the efficient and effective use of staff and other resources throughout the Commission. They will be impartial, free from bias about the gambling industry and those that participate in gambling.
The Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain. The total annualised UK gross gambling yield is £15.6bn (for the period covered April 2023 to March 2024). The Commission is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
The Commission’s activity is governed by the three licensing objectives set out in section one of the Gambling Act 2005:
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keeping crime out of gambling
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ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and;
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protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
The Gambling Commission is also responsible for licensing and regulating the National Lottery. Here the Commission’s duties work to protect the integrity of the Lottery, protect players’ interests and maximise funds to good causes. The Commission’s duties under the National Lottery Act are to:
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ensure that the Lottery is run with all due propriety;
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ensure that the interests’ of all participants are protected;
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and to ensure the returns to National Lottery good causes are maximised.
Following the appointment of a new operator in February 2024, the Commission is working on the regulation of the fourth National Lottery Licence. In addition, the Commission regulates society lotteries.
How the Gambling Commission regulates
As a strong and effective regulator, the Commission regulates in a transparent, accountable and consistent way.
The Commission exists to safeguard players and the wider public by ensuring gambling is fair and safe and is committed to making faster, further progress in reducing harm.
The way people gamble continues to evolve. People gamble in different ways, on different products and with different regularity. The global pandemic impacted the way people gambled and as a result our approach to regulation. Using comparable surveys, fewer people report gambling regularly now compared to before the pandemic, but consumers are collectively spending more money gambling than in 2019.
Below these headline trends, consumer behaviour and the individual commercial performance and drivers of their licensees differ. More people than ever before now gamble online rather than in person. An increasing proportion of consumers play higher risk products, and fewer use cash as a method of payment. In response, the gambling industry in Great Britain continues to evolve based on changes in consumer behaviour and changes to regulation. Licensees also continue to seek to influence consumer behaviour through product innovation and adapting their business models. Mergers and acquisitions have changed the structure of the industry, the scale of the largest businesses and their global footprint.
The Commission’s regulation needs to be responsive to changes in the wider environment. They focus their resources on those issues and operators that potentially present the greatest risk to the licensing objectives and consumers. This is done by:
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licensing gambling businesses
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licensing people who work in the gambling industry, in specific roles
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setting out licence conditions and codes of practice
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carrying out compliance activities
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enforcement action and compliance work, if a business or individual breaches their licence conditions
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working closely with the gambling industry to raise standards
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providing advice and guidance to players and the public
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being the leading authority on gambling-related statistics, data and research.
The Commission is long established as an evidence-based regulator, producing Official Statistics and a range of other research in relation to the gambling market. They conduct research on consumer participation in gambling and the National Lottery and they gather regular market information. The Commission publishes their research and data to improve understanding of gambling in Britain, to inform their advice to Government, and to help shape policy development.
The Commission engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry and trade body representatives, third sector organisations and our own expert groups (the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, the Digital Advisory Panel, Industry Forum and the Lived Experience Advisory Panel). They also work in close partnership with law enforcement agencies, other regulators and public bodies.
Many gambling operators in Great Britain provide services in other international markets and we are well respected internationally and work with gambling regulators across the world.
The National Lottery occupies a unique place in the UK’s gambling landscape, as a low risk, mass market product to support arts, sports, heritage and community projects. The Commission oversees the operator of the National Lottery, ensuring that it is run effectively and that as much money as possible goes to good causes.
For further information about the Gambling Commission please visit their website at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
Person specification
Essential criteria
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High standards of integrity, and an understanding of the principles and practices of corporate governance.
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The ability to lead an organisation in a high-profile and emotive policy area, including the ability to exercise impartial and independent judgement, drawing sound conclusions that are capable of justification under close scrutiny;
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The ability to lead the Board of Commissioners, working collaboratively to optimise the input of Commissioners, lead strategy and provide effective challenge and support to the CEO and executive.
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Strong relationship building skills, with the ability to command respect, and the ability to work with partners and other stakeholders to achieve objectives;
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The ability to demonstrate capacity for sound political judgement and understanding;
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Extensive commercial experience and expertise, with the ability to work in a highly scrutinised regulatory environment;
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Excellent communication and influencing skills including the ability to operate effectively and comfortably as an ambassador for the organisation.
