Seven months after the departure of previous CEO Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission has posted a public listing to find his replacement, offering the successful applicant a salary of £190,000 a year. The shockingly long delay in offering the post begs the question – how long does it actually take to advertise the most important job in gambling governance having already left it vacant for most of this year?
The Gambling Commission is officially recruiting a new CEO, seven months after the departure of Andrew Rhodes, with the successful applicant expected to demonstrate “clear commitment to public service.”
In return for providing “clear and positive leadership” while overseeing the regulator’s operational activities and public policy, the new chief executive will be remunerated at £190,000 per year plus the benefits.
“This is an exciting time to join the Commission,” said new chair Ruth Evans, herself only appointed to the Commission five weeks ago, ironically also after an excruciatingly long period of searching – in fact, 20 months during which the post was held on an interim basis by Charles Counsell.
“We have ambitious plans for the future and a clear strategic direction, underpinned by our commitment to being an effective, evidence-led and outcomes-focused regulation,” she added.
But whose ambitions?
It is indeed an odd claim given the Commission has been rudderless and leaderless for the best part of a year. So where does this ambitious plan come from?
This will be a question on the minds of every stakeholder in the gambling sector, which already fears the regulatory force is coming not from the top, but from the bottom up.
After all, it certainly couldn’t come from Evans; five weeks in, at two days per week and £85,000 per year, an ambitious plan for the Commission is a bit of an ask even for this new Chairman of many talents.
And a word to the wise: Ms Evans must be aware that there’s nothing ambitious about regulation that’s designed to destroy the industry it regulates.
And what about industry knowledge?
And more importantly, there can be no ambition in any leadership appointment where knowledge of the industry the applicant is to oversee figures second from last on the list of skills required for the new Gambling Commission chief executive.
But GamCom continues to big it up. “We are looking for a Chief Executive who can lead the organisation in delivering that ambition,” Evans added, “building on our achievements and ensuring we continue to respond successfully to a rapidly changing environment.”
“The successful candidate will lead a talented and committed workforce, work closely with the Board and a wide range of stakeholders, and provide visible leadership for an organisation that operates at the centre of complex and high-profile public policy issues.”
Other essential qualities as listed on the Government website include someone “capable of operating effectively under public scrutiny,” with “demonstrable experience of leading significant organisational transformation, including digital, data and technology.”
An inward looking CEO?
And transformation may well be the order of the day for the incoming CEO, with the regulator facing extensive criticism for its handling of FRAs and poor industry engagement, while managing a cutback to its services necessitated by a projected budget deficit.
In fairness, that cutback in costs is a requirement of all regulators, not least the loadsamoney Gambling Commission that has just had another £20+ million thrown down its regulatory drain to tackle the illegal black market.
A hefty price for a new chief
Those who responded to the consultation on increasing licence fees earlier this year after the Commission warned its reserves would be “completely exhausted during the 2026 to 2027 financial year,” might be surprised to note the generosity of the CEO’s salary at £190,000. Especially when it adds the pensions and benefits the new GamCom chief will get.
According to HMRC’s official statistics, the new chief executive of the Gambling Commission will sit in the top 1 percent threshold of the UK’s 39m+ income tax payers.
Now where’s that application form?
Originally published on Coinslot on October 19, 2026. Republished with permission.