Betting Trade Body Backs Vicky Foxcroft As New UK Gambling Minister
The Betting and Gaming Council has congratulated Vicky Foxcroft MP on becoming the minister responsible for gambling.
It opens a new chapter in the relationship between Westminster and the regulated online casinos and betting shops it represents.
In a statement issued on August 11, the trade body said it looked forward to working with her on policy that is evidence-led and proportionate.
Who Is Vicky Foxcroft?
Foxcroft was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on July 22, 2026, according to her official government profile.
She has been the MP for Lewisham North since 2024, having previously represented Lewisham, Deptford from 2015, and served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, a government whip role, from July 2024 to June 2025.
The BGC pointed to the new minister’s previous backing for what it called a balanced approach to gambling regulation, one that protects vulnerable people, particularly children and young people, while allowing adults who choose to gamble to do so safely.
It also noted her support for rules that are targeted and fit for purpose.
The BGC’s Message To The New Minister
Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, framed the appointment as a chance to press the sector’s economic case.
"We look forward to working with her to champion Britain’s casinos, betting shops and online betting, gaming and bingo businesses," she said, describing an industry that "sustains 109,000 jobs, contributes billions of pounds to the economy and provides vital funding for some of Britain’s best-loved sports."
Hurst tied that welcome to a clear policy ask stating that following the extensive changes introduced through the Gambling White Paper, it was 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.
She also called for work with the minister to tackle the growing illegal gambling black market.
Tribute To The Outgoing Minister
The statement doubled as a farewell to the outgoing gambling minister, Baroness Fiona Twycross.
The BGC thanked her for her engagement with the regulated sector and noted that during her tenure she visited members in Stoke-on-Trent, Leeds, Liverpool and London, meeting staff and reviewing the industry’s safer gambling measures.
Hurst said Twycross "made a genuine effort to understand our members" and recognised their commitment to protecting vulnerable people.
The Sector Foxcroft Inherits
The numbers behind the lobbying reflect the scale of the sector the new minister inherits. The BGC says the regulated betting and gaming industry supports 109,000 jobs, contributes £6.8 billion in gross value added to the British economy and generates £4 billion in tax each year.
Its members also fund British sport, including horse racing, football, darts, snooker and rugby league, a point the council reliably raises whenever regulatory or fiscal change is on the table. Foxcroft takes on the brief at a tense moment for operators.
The trade body has spent recent weeks warning about betting shop closures and job losses it links to Budget tax rises, arguments that will now land on her desk alongside the unfinished work of implementing the Gambling White Paper.
How she weighs the black market threat against tighter consumer protection will shape the outlook for online betting sites and high street bookmakers alike. The immediate question is how quickly the new minister sets out her priorities, and whether she signals continuity with her predecessor or a fresh direction.
