The U.K.’s Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG), the responsible gambling body set up by the five main trade associations for the U.K. gaming industry, has appointed former London Clubs COO Barry Hardy as its new chairman.
Hardy, now a non-executive director at Gala Coral, replaces Remote Gambling Association Chairman Clive Hawkswood as IGRG chairman, less than a year into his tenure.
The IGRG was established in March, and Hawkswood explained that the organization had originally intended to rotate the chairmanship between each of the trade associations on an annual basis. However, he said, the association then decided that it would be beneficial to have an independent chairman, describing Hardy as someone that “fits the fill perfectly.”
“I and my trade association colleagues were obviously delighted when he agreed to accept our invitation,” Hawkswood said. “I am sure we will all work well together as we take forward a range of initiatives that are currently being finalized.”
As well as serving as a non-executive director of Gala Coral, Hardy also sits on the board of South African casino operator Peermont Group and Greek company Regency Casinos. In his career he has worked for a number of land-based operators including Pleasurama, which merged with Mecca Bingo, and London Clubs, where he became chief operating officer and executive deputy chairman. He has also managed casinos in France, Belgium, South Africa, Egypt, the Lebanon and Las Vegas.
Commenting on his appointment, Hardy said that the wider gambling industry had made a lot of efforts to promote socially responsible gambling, and while those efforts should be lauded, more work can be done.
“The IGRG has unmatched reach across the U.K. gambling industry, and I have been pleasantly surprised by how well the associations have been working together,” Hardy said. “I am very much looking forward to the coming months as we begin to do more detailed work in areas such as staff training, customer interaction, and messaging.”
The IGRG has been formed by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), the British Amusement and Catering Trade Association (BACTA), Bingo Association (BA), National Casino Forum (NCF) and Remote Gambling Association (RGA).
