UKGC set to appoint CEO Andrew Rhodes on permanent basis – report

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will appoint interim chief executive Andrew Rhodes, according to a report in The Guardian.

Mr Rhodes was appointed as the interim leader of the UKGC in June 2021, following the departure of Neil McArthur.

He was initially expected to fill the role for 18 months, while the organisation worked to find a permanent replacement.

At the time, he commented on his appointment, saying: “Protecting the public and players from gambling harm will continue to be central to our work and I am looking forward to meeting people from across the industry and those with lived experience to understand the issues and opportunities which lay ahead.”

The executive's stern approach to operators engaging in "recidivist behaviours towards compliance," is said to have struck a tone with the Gambling Commission and the Government, with UK culture minister Nadine Dorries, expected to confirm his appointment ultimately.

However, he has been critical of some sectors of the iGaming industry, claiming that they have "overstated" its warnings that that excessive regulation would push bettors into unregulated, 'black market' operators.

"“We are not going to be deflected away from that mission, in some sort of race to the bottom because someone else is worse,” Mr Rhodes said in a speech last month. “That’s the whole point of having a regulated market.”

Mr Rhodes previously worked at the Department for Work and Pensions and the Food Standards Agency.