By admin
The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) has appointed Nick Rust as the chairman of its Industry Forum, the regulator announced. Rust, who has a significant track record in the gambling and sports sectors, will step into the office in November and serve an initial two-year term.
The Industry Forum will consist of members from the United Kingdom’s gambling sector and will provide the gambling watchdog with insight into how the industry feels about the Commission’s regulatory plans.
Rust previously served as the chief executive officer of the British Horseracing Authority for six years and currently holds the position of chairman of the Starting Price Regulatory Commission. Additionally, he is a non-executive director of Redcar Racecourse and a founding partner of GVS EQ, a company specializing in equine sports. He is also a trustee of the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Marcus Boyle, the UKGC’s chairman, welcomed Rust on board and praised his knowledge of the gambling sector, stating that his input will be invaluable.
The UKGC is also moving toward implementing the measures outlined in the Gambling Act white paper. Plans to introduce affordability checks have faced criticism from both consumers and gambling companies. A petition to convince the government to abandon its affordability checks plans has gained nearly 75,000 signatures, with gamblers arguing that the measure would make their hobby unsustainable.
Andrew Rhodes from the UKGC has spoken out against alleged intentional efforts to misinform the British public about the true nature of the checks, slamming the efforts to “muddy the waters of debate and to torpedo the implementation” during the recent IAGR conference. The UKGC continues to evaluate and move toward implementing the measures despite the opposition.