Vicky Foxcroft MP will become Britain’s latest gambling minister as the retail sector faces its greatest threat in years.
The Member of Parliament for Lewisham North will become the latest in a long line of politicians to hold the gambling brief and therefore oversee one of Britain’s most controversial sectors.
It confirms a NEXT.io scoop from last month that the former trade union official was a frontrunner for the post, after UK trade body the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) shared intelligence with their members that she would likely get the job.
In this role, she replaces former officeholder Baroness Fiona Twycross, who had become a target of criticism for gambling campaigners but was a figure industry insiders had considered to be someone they could work with.
Responding to the appointment, BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said: “I would like to congratulate Vicky Foxcroft MP on her appointment as Minister responsible for gambling.
“We look forward to working with her to champion Britain’s casinos, betting shops and online betting, gaming and bingo businesses – an industry that brings enjoyment to millions of people, sustains 109,000 jobs, contributes billions of pounds to the economy and provides vital funding for some of Britain’s best-loved sports.”
Hurst also called for future policy to be evidence-led, proportionate and to consider the impact of regulation and recent tax changes on the sector, while indicating the BGC is keen to work with the new minister on tackling the black market.
Foxcroft has sporadically contributed to policy conversations about gambling in the UK over her decade in parliament, although it has not been by any means her core issue.
Her most notable intervention has been her choosing to sign well-known gambling critic Dawn Butler MP’s Early Day Motion calling for an end to “aim to permit” licensing in October 2025.
This is perhaps well-timed given Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision this week to announce the abolishment of this clause in the Gambling Act, which has previously meant opposition to the activity itself couldn’t be used to deny a premises a licence.
Public health approach to problem gambling
The incoming minister has also previously called for problem gambling to be viewed through a public health lens, a view which has correlated with calls for further reforms to the licensed sector.
Following the collapse of Football Index in 2021, Foxcroft published a detailed policy response where she outlined her views on this issue.
She said: “I believe the law on gambling should be approached from a public health perspective to protect the vulnerable and particularly children and young people, but to allow others who choose to do so to gamble safely.”
“We need fit-for-purpose, evidence-based regulation that is targeted effectively to reduce gambling-related harm, and that can keep up with the changing nature of gambling online. We must also ensure the right support is in place to tackle the highly serious matter of problem gambling.”
Foxcroft arrives at the position at a time when the sector is in open revolt over Financial Risk Assessments, and faces large-scale closures of retail gambling venues nationwide if think tank proposals hiking slot machine taxes are approved in the November budget.
Dingnews.com 13/08/2026