UK government selects new gambling minister

The UK government has put Chris Philp MP in charge of its ongoing review of the gambling act amid Boris Johnson’s latest cabinet reshuffle. The appointment was made after he became parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) this week. Philp will take over gambling duties from John Whittingdale, who was removed from the position last week after serving as Minister of State for Media and Data at DCMS since February 2020. Philp’s full responsibilities as gambling minister are yet to be outlined. While Whittingdale was seen as a favourable appointment for the industry, Philp’s record is mixed. In 2017 he wrote the foreword to a report that called for FOBT stakes to be reduced to £2, for example. MP for Croydon South since 2015, 45-year-old Philp previously served as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Home Office and Ministry of Justice from February 2020 to September 2021. He was also the minister for London at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from 2019 to 2020. Between December 2018 and May 2019 he was the Conservative Party Vice Chairman for Policy. He has also served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to current Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Having graduated from University College Oxford, Philp was an entrepreneur before beginning his political career in 2015. Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) CEO Michael Dugher said he was looking forward to working alongside Philp to drive big changes and higher standards on safer gambling. “On behalf of the 119,000 people whose jobs are supported by BGC members, I welcome Chris Philp as the new minister responsible for gambling,” said Dugher. “He comes to the brief with an excellent reputation as a talented and extremely capable minister. “We have made excellent progress working towards the gambling review white paper and we are sure that the government will not wish to lose momentum,” he added.