The Betting and Gaming Council appointed Kane Purdy as its non-executive chair with immediate effect, succeeding Michael Dugher. Purdy is managing director of Gamesys Operations; the BGC said he would lead the trade body as the sector adjusts to the tax regime introduced in April 2026 and faces calls for changes to advertising and local licensing rules.
The appointment puts a new chair at the head of the UK gambling trade body during regulatory and tax debates.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
The British Horseracing Authority has appointed Brant Dunshea as chief executive and David Jones as interim chair, the BHA said. Dunshea had served as acting CEO since December 2024; Jones took the chair after Lord Charles Allen resigned. The BHA plans to recruit a permanent chair.
The Betting and Gaming Council launched a campaign on 28 September opposing further betting shop tax rises in Britain. The BGC attributed to EY modelling an estimate that raising Machine Games Duty to 40% could jeopardise up to 16,000 jobs and leave the Treasury approximately £124m worse off.
A campaign called "Back Our Betting Shops" was started by the Betting and Gaming Council on Monday. It sets out to show how employees, communities and high streets across Britain could be affected by additional tax rises and shop closures. According to the BGC, the initiative features workers from several parts of the industry, among them apprentices, managers, customers, long-serving staff and community collaborators.
The Betting and Gaming Council said more than 540 betting shops had closed in Britain since last year’s Budget, with about 4,500 jobs lost. It warned that further tax increases could bring more closures and job losses; the Treasury said gambling duty rates for high-street shops had not changed.
The Betting and Gaming Council estimated that up to £10m would be wagered with unlicensed bookmakers over the two days of the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom, including about £5m on the Derby itself. BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said the priority should be keeping customers in the regulated market and argued that policies weakening licensed operators' competitiveness could benefit illegal betting.
Betfred has attributed its decision to close 132 retail betting shops partly to higher gambling taxes. HM Treasury said gambling duty rates for high street shops have not changed, disputing the tax argument. The Betting and Gaming Council said the closures showed its warnings about tax increases were materialising.