BGC Welcomes Grainne Hurst On First Day As New CEO

Grainne Hurst

Standards body the Betting and Gaming Council today (Sept 9) welcomed new CEO Grainne Hurst, who has now officially taken up her role with the BGC.

Grainne brings an unparalleled wealth of experience in the regulated betting and gaming sector, joining from global betting brand Entain, where she spent nearly 10 years, including as the firm’s Group Corporate Affairs Director.

The appointment, first announced in April, came as part of a wider restructuring of the BGC’s senior leadership, with former BGC CEO Michael Dugher becoming Chair.

Grainne has held a number of senior roles in the land-based and online sectors, and brings a passion for increasing the number of high profile women in the industry, establishing the international arm of Global Gaming Women, where she is a board member, and where she currently oversees the charity’s expansion to the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

In her first comments as CEO, Grainne committed to delivering the White Paper, ensuring the sector can move to a new era of stability and growth, with a renewed focus on improving diversity.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to get started as CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, the industry champion for so many iconic brands, at home in the UK and around the world.

“This is a crucial time for the BGC’s diverse and growing membership, which supports 110,000 jobs, and caters to millions of customers who enjoy a bet each month in the UK.

“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s White Paper, many of which our members called for.

“That includes a statutory levy to address problem gambling and related harms, an Ombudsman for improved consumer redress, online financial risk checks carefully targeted on those at risk, new stake limits for online slots, a Sports Sponsorship Code, plus mission critical modernisation proposals for the land-based casino sector.

“While achieving regulatory certainty after a period of so much change is top of my priority list, it is important for our industry to focus on stability, growth and diversity across the sector. That work must be underpinned by strong data and guided throughout by the voice of the everyday consumer.

“My huge thanks go to Michael Dugher for his amazing work so far getting the BGC to where it is today, I’m really looking forward to working alongside Michael in his new role as BGC Chair.

“I would also like to thank all of the BGC’s members for their support and, alongside the excellent BGC team, I look forward to championing our world class members, on hard-pressed high streets, in the land-based sector and online.

“Our members are rightly proud of their vital role in the UK entertainment industry, and the significant part they play supporting the local and national economies through tax and high value jobs.

“Millions of us enjoy a bet, in bookmakers, in casinos and online and I look forward to championing everything our members do, for their customers, communities and the country.”

BGC Chair Michael Dugher, added: “On behalf of the entire BGC membership, I’d like to warmly welcome Grainne as she officially starts as CEO.

“She brings years of experience and knowledge in the regulated industry, together with a bold vision and strategy to refresh and reset the organisation going forward.

“I look forward to working with Grainne in my new role as Chair, and the rest of the outstanding BGC team, as we continue to represent thousands of workers and millions of customers, as well as delivering on our mission to raise standards in safer gambling”.

During her career at Entain, Grainne led the company’s activities and relationships with government and the public sector and successfully spearheaded the company rebrand from GVC to Entain.

She was also a board member of the Entain Foundation and created and delivered Entain’s multi award winning global safer gambling strategy, Changing for the Bettor.

She was previously a special advisor to the UK government and studied at King’s College London and Queen Mary University in London.

The BGC represents over 90 per cent of the regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK.

Its members support 110,000 jobs, generate £4.2bn in tax and contribute £7.1bn to the economy in gross value added.

Each month 22.5m people in Britain enjoy a bet on the lottery, on sports, in bookmakers, casinos, and online, and the overwhelming majority do so safely.

The most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4 per cent of the adult population are problem gamblers.