Neil McArthur to step down as Gambling Commission CEO

The Gambling Commission (UKGC) is on the hunt for a new CEO at a pivotal time for the sector after Neil McArthur announced he would step down from the role. McArthur joined the regulator in October 2006 and spent nearly 12 years as general counsel before becoming chief executive in February 2018 after replacing Sarah Harrison. The recruitment process for an interim CEO will get underway shortly. The search for a permanent CEO will only begin once a successor to outgoing UKGC chairman Bill Moyes has been selected. Moyes is due to step down as chair later this year after five years with the regulator. UKGC deputy CEO Sarah Gardner and COO Sally Jones will become joint acting CEOs until a temporary successor is found. McArthur leaves the UKGC during an uncertain period as the regulator liaises with the government over the Gambling Act 2005 review, which could lead to a significant shift in regulation of the industry. Scrutiny of the regulator, which has previously been labelled “unfit for purpose” by cross-party MPs, intensified this week after it suspended the licence of trading platform Football Index. Football Index is now in administration and its users are facing significant financial losses. Campaigners have questioned how this was allowed this to happen, with some suggesting the UKGC was “asleep at the wheel”. “I am proud of everything the Gambling Commission has achieved during my 15 years with the organisation,” said McArthur. “We have taken significant steps forward to make gambling fairer and safer and I know that I leave the organisation in a strong position to meet its future challenges. “With a review of the Gambling Act underway, now feels the right time to step away and allow a new chief executive to lead the Commission on the next stage in its journey,” he added. McArthur presided over major changes during his tenure, including a ban on credit card gambling, restrictions on VIP schemes and changes to the game design code. Moyes said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Neil for his many years of commitment and service to the Gambling Commission. “A lot has been achieved during his time here and Neil can rightly feel proud of the organisation’s progress during his tenure as chief executive.” Under McArthur’s watch, the UKGC created a Lived Experience Advisory Panel to solicit the views of those who have experienced gambling-related harm.