Labour DCMS Head May Be Good News for UK Gambling

Labour has appointed Lisa Nandy as the new head of the DCMS. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

It’s finally happened – the UK has a Labour government for the first time since 2010. Keir Starmer won the general election last week, beating Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives to secure the largest majority government in 25 years.

Lisa Nandy will head the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport

As part of his new role as Prime Minister, Starmer has just appointed a First Secretary for Culture, Media, and Sport. Lisa Nandy will head the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), which has a pivotal role in creating and signing off on new rules for the UK gambling industry.

As evidence of this, Nandy’s predecessor Lucy Frazer was the woman behind the white paper that is seeking to reform the Gambling Act 2005. She revealed a string of changes in April 2023 – such as a limit for online slot stakes – which are currently undergoing a consultation process.

As for Nandy, it remains to be seen how she will tackle the gambling industry. However, Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Chairman Michael Dugher believes her appointment is “great news” for the industry. Dugher, who worked with Nandy when both served as Labour shadow cabinet office ministers in 2013 and 2014, described his ex colleague as “passionate” and “principled.”

Perhaps most importantly, Dugher said that Nandy is “a powerful advocate for working people and their culture.” He believes this is vital for the “110,000 people whose jobs depend on regulated betting – from bingo to casinos, high street retail to big tech and online.”

The BGC formally welcomed the new Labour government earlier this week in a statement on its website.