Vicky Foxcroft to become the next gambling minister in the UK

• A new incumbent has been picked for the role of one of the most controversial public offices in the UK
• Vicky Foxcroft MP will be overseeing the country's gambling sector, replacing the incumbent, Baroness Fiona Twycross
• Foxcroft has repeatedly pronounced that she is for an evidence-based approach

Vicky Foxcroft MP has been appointed as Minister responsible for gambling in the United Kingdom, and she will be coming into the position at a time of growing challenges faced by the sector, as well as lawmakers trying to better calibrate regulation.

New Gambling Minister appointed in the UK

Foxcroft is touted as an individual who has a proven track record of urging for an evidence-based approach in regulating the gambling industry, focused on protecting vulnerable individuals, such as children and young people, but also committed to ensuring that adults can access the products responsibly, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said in a statement welcoming the appointment.

Foxcroft is replacing the outgoing incumbent, Baroness Fiona Twycross, who has worked to strengthen the sector’s regulatory framework under her tenure. The passing of the baton has come with the customary remark from the BGC that the gambling industry remains a vital part of the British economy, generating billions of pounds and supporting 109,000 jobs.

"Following the extensive changes introduced through the Gambling White Paper, it is vital that future policy is evidence-led, proportionate and fully considers the cumulative impact of regulation and recent tax increases on jobs, investment and the competitiveness of the regulated sector," BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said in a statement.

Hurst has urged the new Minister to also take pains to ensure that any regulatory decision is based on evidence and acknowledges the realities on the ground. For its part, the trade group remains committed to working with the new Minister and her team, Hurst confirmed.

Minister Foxcroft is open to an "evidence-based approach"

Foxcroft herself believes that problem gambling should be coded into the country’s public health framework, and that "fit-for-purpose" and "evidence-based" regulation is needed in order to meaningfully reduce the levels of harm that emanate from the sector.

The sector is facing a difficult spell right now, with the black market arguably and continuously trampling on the regulated market’s territory, with projections set to see the unregulated market increase its clout.

In the meantime, the BGC has repeatedly criticized attempts to raise the tax burden on the regulated sector, arguing that such moves only end up driving players away, causing harm, and reducing the tax footprint in the long run.

The regulator, the Gambling Commission, has also increased its efforts to tackle the black market in the country.

Image credit: Unsplash.com