Report: Andrew Rhodes set to land UKGC top job on permanent basis
The appointment of the former COO of the Food Standards Agency comes amid the gambling act review and the awarding of the fourth National Lottery licence
Andrew Rhodes, the interim chief of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), is to be appointed as permanent CEO, the Guardian has reported.
Following the sudden exit of Neil McArthur in March 2021, Rhodes took over as the interim head of the regulator in June.
It has been reported that the government has been impressed by his tough stance towards the industry, while, during a speech last month, he promised to clamp down on “recidivist behaviours towards compliance”.
He added: “We are not going to be deflected away from that mission, in some sort of race to the bottom because someone else is worse. That’s the whole point of having a regulated market.”
If the newspaper is correct and Rhodes’ appointment is imminent, he has a full in-tray with the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review due in the coming months and a decision on the fourth National Lottery licence expected in February.
The regulator has also come under fire for its failure to step in earlier with the Football Index before the self-styled football stock market collapsed owing players tens of millions of pounds.
McArthur left his post shortly after parent company BetIndex went into administration and its licence was suspended. The government later slammed the UKGC over its inaction.
In October, Rhodes revealed on Twitter that he had received “many abusive tweets, including death threats” as well as “abusive language, personal insults and persistent trolling” over the scandal.
However, Culture Minister Nadine Dorries is expected to officially announce Rhodes’ permanent appointment in the coming days, on a salary of £150,000, the Guardian said.
Prior to joining the UKGC, Rhodes held several key positions in various departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions. He also worked as director of products and services at the DVLA and COO of the Food Standards Agency.
The UKGC and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport declined to confirm Rhodes’ appointment when contacted by EGR.