UK Gambling Commission head Sarah Harrison has stepped down form the post to join the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as a senior executive.
Neil McArthur. general counsel for the commission will act as interim chief executive of the regulator as it continues a search to fill the position.
McArthur has served as the commission’s general counsel since 2006, leading the regulatory body’s legal oversight on licensing, enforcement and compliance directives, the commission said in a press release.
Harrison leaves the post warning the UK’s gambling businesses that they need to improve their funding of industry charity GambleAware which researches problem gambling and runs programs for prevention, treatment and education.
The group has been routinely underfunded by the industry. It is currently in the process of preparing a £7m public awareness campaign scheduled to launch in August. However, many UK broadcasters have pledged to provide the campaign with free media, according to local reports.
In another matter, the commission has issued its Gambling Participation Report covering the year of 2017.
The report examines gambling trends across the UK including rates of participation, at-risk gambling and the effectiveness of self-exclusion programs. The commission found that overall participation in gambling has decreased by 3 percent from the previous year to 45 percent of the population despite a rise in online gambling.
The report noted significant growth in the use of mobile phones and tablets to gamble, with 51 percent of online players reporting to have gambled on a phone or tablet in 2017, up from 43 percent in 2016.
The report said just 0.8 percent of people identified themselves as problem gamblers and 6 percent of bettors have opted to self-exclude in the last year. The report also found that 26 percent of online gamblers follow a gambling company on a social media platform with rates highest among people aged 18-24.
“Our new three-year strategy sets out our role in developing a strong evidence base and improved understanding of the impact gambling has on society,” said Ben Haden, program director of the commission in a press release. “Today’s report makes an important contribution to that work as it presents a comprehensive view on how the British public is choosing the gamble and their attitudes to the current market.
“Our research shows the main factor that influences where someone gambles, is a company with a reputation for being fair and trustworthy,” he said. “The message from that is clear—gambling companies that treat their customers well and act responsibly will be at an increasingly competitive advantage.”
