Neil McArthur has been appointed as Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission with immediate effect. He had been acting as Interim CEO since Sarah Harrison MBE left the organisation at the end of February.
Peter Hannibal, Chief Executive of the cross sector industry body, the Gambling Business Group, said: ”The Gambling Business Group welcomes the news that Neil McArthur’s appointment as the CEO of the Gambling has been made permanent.
“We and our members have worked with Neil on a number of regulatory matters and initiatives over the years that the Gambling Commission has existed, and always found him reasonable, logical and balanced in his approach.
It is important for the Industry that there is continuity in key roles such as this. Governments’ have an unfortunate bias towards bringing people in from outside, which may well shake things up, but not necessarily for the better.
With Neil now firmly in the seat we look forward to a constructive and progressive relationship with the industry’s regulator.”
Today’s announcement follows a thorough search and highly competitive process to recruit the role.
Bill Moyes, Chair of the Commission, said “Neil’s appointment is great news for the Commission. He brings to the role a thorough understanding of gambling issues and regulation, along with proven commitment to making gambling fairer and safer. I’m looking forward to working even more closely with Neil as he leads the Commission to make significant progress in raising standards, protecting consumers and the public from gambling-related harm and improving the performance of the National Lottery.”
Bacta’s John White congratulated McArthur on his appointment and said he “look forward to working with him as we jointly seek to ensure delivery of the licensing objectives”.
McArthur said “I’m looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead to make gambling fairer and safer. I am really proud of the Commission’s achievements over the last 12 years, but there is a lot more to do. Ensuring consumers are empowered to make informed choices about gambling while addressing and reducing the harms that can come from gambling is a challenge that cannot be overcome by us alone. It needs continued strong partnerships with other regulators, consumer representatives and government. Most importantly, it requires gambling operators to treat their customers fairly and they can expect us to be tough but fair in making sure they meet their responsibilities.”
