Gambling Regulator CEO Andrew Rhodes to Step Down After Leading Major Reforms

_{Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes (fourth from left) to step down in April. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

Andrew Rhodes, chief executive of the UK Gambling Commission, has announced he will leave the regulator on April 30, 2026, concluding a five-year tenure marked by sweeping regulatory change and heightened consumer protections across Britain’s gambling industry.

Rhodes, who joined the commission as interim CEO in June 2021 and was confirmed in the permanent role a year later, said his decision comes ahead of taking up a new position that will be announced in due course.

Driving Reform and Consumer Safeguards

Since taking the helm, Rhodes guided the commission through the implementation of a long-awaited overhaul of Britain’s gambling regulatory framework. The UK government’s Gambling Act Review White Paper, originally published in 2023, set out reforms intended to modernise regulations first established under the 2005 Gambling Act, the legislation that created the commission and governs gambling in Great Britain. 

Under his leadership, the commission has focused heavily on consumer-centric protections, including the rollout of financial vulnerability checks, stricter limits on online casino intensity, and a ban on certain high-risk marketing offers. The regulator also introduced the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, now regarded as one of the most comprehensive studies of gambling behaviour in the world. 

Industry stakeholders and consumer groups have watched these changes closely. In March 2025, a new Gambling Commission podcast featured Rhodes discussing the regulator’s objective to make gambling fair and open for all UK consumers, highlighting the significance of ongoing reforms.

At sector events such as the CMS Conference in November 2024, Rhodes acknowledged his initial inexperience in gambling yet emphasised his commitment to rigorous oversight and engagement with operators. Casinos.com covered his remarks there, noting his candid reflection on learning the industry while steering regulatory change.

Oversight of National Lottery and Enforcement

Rhodes also oversaw the transition under the Fourth National Lottery licence, concluding one of the most complex procurement processes in the commission’s history. This process ensured continuity of the UK’s flagship lottery while embedding new performance incentives designed to maximise returns to good causes. 

Beyond reforms, the commission sharpened its enforcement focus on illegal gambling and black-market operators. In speeches throughout 2024 and 2025, Rhodes outlined efforts to disrupt unlicensed online operators and protect consumers from unregulated risks.

Transition Management and Leadership Succession

Charles Counsell, interim chair of the Gambling Commission, praised Rhodes’s leadership in a statement Monday, noting he had “strengthened our regulatory approach” and kept consumer protection at the centre of the commission’s strategy.

As Rhodes prepares to depart, Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner will step up as acting CEO during the transitional recruitment period. The board has expressed confidence that the executive team will sustain momentum on priority reforms and regulatory delivery.

Gambling Became Safer and More Transparent

Rhodes’s departure comes at a pivotal time. The gambling sector is balancing demands for consumer safeguarding with industry calls for clarity around regulatory expectations and operational certainty. The implementation of affordability checks, data-led oversight and the new gambling behaviour survey underscores a shift toward evidence-based regulation, a landscape that operators and players alike will feel in the coming years.

For casual and regular gamblers, changes introduced under Rhodes’s leadership aim to make play safer and more transparent, particularly for those vulnerable to harm. For industry stakeholders, the commission’s strategic approach reshapes compliance priorities across digital platforms, land-based venues and marketing practices.