DCMS on hunt for key white paper advisor as release date confusion continues

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is on the hunt for a senior policy advisor for online gambling, indicating even further delay to the release of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review. The last-ditch search for a new advisor comes just days after new Gambling Minister Paul Scully said the white paper would be published in the “coming weeks”. Scully’s comments reflect those of former Gambling Ministers, and it remains unlikely for the publication to be released before Parliament break for its Christmas recess on 21 December. In fact, the job application is open until 22 November, indicating the DCMS envisions the “coming weeks” to extend into 2023. According to the advertisement for the role, the new senior policy advisor would be responsible for “developing proposals on high-profile issues in gambling policy, drafting public consultations and implementing policy including through legislation”. The candidate will also “help lead the government’s work [on the white paper]” and “lead the implementation of online aspects of the government’s forthcoming white paper on gambling”. Bringing in a seemingly key figure who is expected to shape gambling policy at this late stage is at odds with the messaging coming out of DCMS in recent months. A draft version of the white paper remains with Number 10 after it was delivered by former Gambling Minister Chris Philp to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A summer of political upheaval saw Johnson replaced by Truss, who in turn named Michelle Donelan as her new Culture Secretary, and Damian Collins as Gambling Minister. Truss lasted just six weeks in office before being replaced by Rishi Sunak. Sunak elected to retain Donelan in his first cabinet reshuffle but Collins returned to the backbenches and was replaced by Scully. Sunak has previously been sympathetic to the gambling industry and has written to the DCMS on at least two occasions to raise concerns over affordability measures. While the white paper remains low down on the list of priorities for Sunak’s government given the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, it appears its release will be pushed back even further than hoped.