The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed Madeleine Campbell’s appointment to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, with her term starting on 1 January. The four-year appointment runs to 31 December 2029 and was approved by culture secretary Lisa Nandy.
The appointment adds an animal welfare expert to the body that collects and distributes betting levy income for British horseracing.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed the appointment of Lisa Nandy as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The trade body's response follows the ministerial appointment.
Dr James Noyes has left the Gambling Act Review Evaluation Advisory Group in protest over the government’s approach to affordability checks, a media report said. Noyes had criticised the evaluation of the checks, citing concerns about inconsistent pilot data, unclear outcomes and unnecessary friction, while saying he still supported their use if properly assessed and implemented.
The Betting and Gaming Council said it wants to discuss sector taxation, regulation and illegal gambling with the UK Government. The trade body said financial-risk checks should rely on accurate data and warned that unresolved concerns could drive customers towards illegal platforms; it cited 109,000 jobs, £6.8bn in gross value added and about £4bn in annual tax contributions from the regulated sector.
The UK Gambling Commission postponed its decision on fully implementing Financial Risk Assessments after its board met on 21 May. The commission said it had reviewed an extensive evidence base but had not completed its assessment, and would provide an update in due course.
Reportedly, Conservative peer Nick Herbert urged Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to reconsider the UKGC’s affordability-check policy. He made the request while speaking in the House of Lords.