Gambling Commission advertises chief executive post at £190,000

Britain's Gambling Commission has begun recruiting for a new chief executive, advertising the post at a salary of £190,000, according to SBC News.

The vacancy follows the departure of two senior figures from the regulator this year. Former chief executive Andrew Rhodes stepped down in March, ending a five-year tenure to join consultancy firm Hawkbridge. His exit was announced a month earlier.

The job specification was issued seven months after Rhodes left and eight months after his departure was made public. Sarah Gardner has held the role on an interim basis since his exit, having also served as acting chief executive during the earlier handover between Rhodes and his predecessor, Neil McArthur.

The Commission regulates gambling across Great Britain under the 2005 Gambling Act, a remit that does not extend to Northern Ireland, which operates its own legislation.

Commission Chair Ruth Evans set out the responsibilities of the role, including leading what she called a "talented and committed workforce", working with the board and stakeholders, and providing "visible leadership" on complex public policy issues. Evans wrote that the Commission has "ambitious plans for the future and a clear strategic direction", adding that the organisation is seeking a chief executive who can "lead the organisation in delivering that ambition, building on our achievements and ensuring we continue to respond successfully to a rapidly changing environment."

The appointment comes as the regulator faces sustained scrutiny. Financial risk assessments, commonly known as affordability checks, have drawn criticism from betting and horse racing bodies and from some gambling reform campaigners, despite being a flagship measure of the government's 2020-2023 review of the Gambling Act.

The sector is also adjusting to a new tax regime that took effect on 1 April, with further changes expected when Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey delivers his Autumn Budget.

Tackling illegal gambling has become a growing part of the Commission's workload. The government has allocated an extra £26m in public funding for this effort, and the regulator's former executive director, Tim Miller, repeatedly pressed social media companies over their role in curbing unlicensed platforms.

On pay, £190,000 sits above the average UK salary of £48,512 cited by Starling Bank, but is broadly in line with the £192,000 average pay for chief executives of major UK charities reported by Civil Society. It falls well short of the £4.4m average earned by FTSE 100 chief executives in 2025, as reported by Sky News, and below the £300,000 to £380,000, and in some cases close to £2m, paid to leaders of major UK law firms according to listings on Glassdoor.

The Commission oversees a market SBC News notes generated gross gambling yield of £17.5bn between March 2025 and April 2026, and which ranks as the second-largest gambling market in the world by online traffic according to data firm Blask.