Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Chair Michael Dugher is to step down after six years at the industry standards body.

Michael, who was the BGC’s founding Chief Executive for more than four years before becoming Chair in April 2024, will leave his position with immediate effect to take up a new role at Brunswick Group, the leading global advisory firm, as Head of its UK Public Affairs Practice. He will continue to work as a freelance business adviser and will remain a Board Member and Director at Nottingham Forest Football Club.

Michael led the BGC from its inception as the new standards body for the regulated industry, bringing together previously separate industry bodies representing land-based casinos, high street bookmakers and online betting, gaming and bingo. He steered the industry through the Government’s Gambling Act Review and the publication of the Gambling White Paper in 2023, which introduced the most extensive legislative and regulatory changes in a generation.

A former Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for DCMS, Michael worked closely with the regulator, the Gambling Commission, and other stakeholders to raise standards across the sector. Under his leadership, the BGC introduced and adopted 20 new safer gambling codes containing 100 new standards. A lifelong fan of horseracing, Michael also launched a number of charity initiatives, including the Britannia Stakes charity race at Royal Ascot and the Grand National Charity Bet, which, with thanks to BGC members, has raised more than £6.5 million for a wide range of good causes.

Michael said: “I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved at the BGC. Working with outstanding colleagues and members, we brought the industry together, embraced higher standards in safer gambling and championed an industry that employs tens of thousands of talented, hardworking, decent men and women in communities across almost every part of the UK. We also raised millions of pounds for so many good causes, particularly for racing and armed forces charities that have always been close to my heart.

“In an era when there is sadly so much ignorance and snobbery about betting – not helped, in my view, by the decline in the number of working-class people in Parliament – the BGC did a difficult job in navigating the industry through the previous Government’s gambling review. This resulted in a White Paper that, though not without its challenges, avoided many of the most draconian and disproportionate measures advocated by anti-gambling prohibitionists.

“By embracing change and positively engaging with Government and Parliamentarians, we made the case for an evidence-led approach to regulation and legislation that raised standards, protected jobs and growth as much as possible, and delivered historic deregulation and investment for Britain’s world-leading casino sector – all while keeping customers safe in the regulated industry. This approach is increasingly at risk today given the very worrying growth in harmful gambling in the unregulated online black market.

“I would like to thank all the BGC members and staff who supported me over the years, especially the BGC’s superb Chief Executive, Grainne Hurst. I would also like to pay tribute to the many ministers, shadow ministers and officials at DCMS whom I was privileged to work with. I wish the industry, and the sports that rely on its funding, not least British horseracing, all the very best for the future.”

BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said: “Michael’s contribution to the Betting and Gaming Council over the past six years has been exceptional. From the outset, he brought clarity of purpose, a trusted standing with policymakers and regulators, and a steadfast commitment to championing a responsible, well-regulated betting and gaming industry.

“Under his leadership, the BGC was firmly established as a credible standards body, uniting a diverse membership around stronger consumer protections and a shared determination to do the right thing, often going beyond regulatory requirements.

“He guided the industry through the most significant regulatory reform in a generation, helping to deliver the Gambling White Paper and shape its implementation in a way that balances consumer protection with the realities of a major UK leisure industry enjoyed safely by millions each month. His leadership was also pivotal in securing long-overdue casino modernisation and proportionate regulation.

“On a personal note, it has been a genuine privilege to work alongside Michael. He leaves a proud and lasting legacy at the BGC, having strengthened standards, unified the industry and ensured it is well prepared for the challenges ahead.”

Ian Proctor, Chairman of Flutter UK & Ireland, said: “Michael worked tirelessly to help establish the BGC as a strong and authoritative body for the regulated industry. During a period of significant policy change, his experience and judgement were invaluable in supporting constructive engagement with Government and the regulator, including through the Gambling Act Review and the delivery of the White Paper.

“I would like to thank Michael for all his hard work and, on behalf of the wider industry, wish him every success in the future.”

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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has issued a warning that the Government’s “unfair” business rates are fueling a high street exodus. According to the industry body, these rising costs are forcing betting shops and other businesses to close, ultimately threatening local employment, stifling investment and draining vital tax revenue from local councils.

The Growing Call for Business Rate Reform

This warning arrives as the debate over the future of Britain’s high streets intensifies. Ministers recently signaled a U-turn on planned business rates hikes for pubs—a move that recognised the extreme pressures facing “bricks-and-mortar” businesses. However, the BGC argues that this “common-sense approach” must be extended to the entire high street.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “Britain’s high streets are already under intense pressure, and an outdated and unfair business rates system is only accelerating their decline. Betting shops are closing not because communities don’t value them, but because the costs of running physical premises continue to rise.

“Ministers were right to recognise these pressures when it comes to pubs, and the same common-sense approach must now be applied across the high street. Without urgent reform, we risk losing thousands more local jobs, investment and vital footfall, while handing a growing advantage to the harmful gambling black market.”

Betting Shop Closures: By the Numbers

Official figures highlight the severity of the decline in the retail betting sector:

• 30% Decrease: The number of betting shops has fallen by nearly a third since 2019.

• Store Count: Locations dropped from 8304 in 2019 to 5825 in March 2025.

• Job Losses: This contraction has already resulted in over 10,000 job losses.

While betting shops did not face a direct tax increase in recent budgets, many operators manage both online and retail estates from a single balance sheet. Higher online gambling taxes inevitably impact the viability of physical shops, affecting staffing levels and long-term investment.

The Economic Impact on Local Communities

Despite the closures, the sector remains a pillar of the local economy. Currently, licensed betting shops:

• Support approximately 42,000 jobs.

• Contribute nearly £1 billion annually in direct tax.

• Generate £60 million per year in business rates for local authorities.

Furthermore, research by ESA Retail found that 89% of betting shop customers visit other nearby businesses during their trip, driving the “secondary spend” that keeps town centers alive.

The Risk of the Gambling Black Market

Beyond economics, the BGC warns of a social risk. Licensed shops are tightly regulated with strict age verification and safer gambling tools. Problem gambling rates in the UK remain low, at approximately 0.4% of the adult population, according to NHS surveys.

However, pushing customers away from regulated high street shops risks driving them towards the harmful illegal black market. These unlicensed operators offer no consumer protections, contribute nothing to the Treasury and provide no funding for problem gambling treatment or British sport.

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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has said that the new budget would cause thousands of job losses across the entire betting and gaming industry.

“The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget has been pitched as good news for horse racing, but in reality it spells thousands of job losses right across the entire betting and gaming industry and represents a major setback not only for that sector but for all the sports our industry supports,” Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said.

“Racing has seemingly been protected from higher betting duties. It sounds like a win, but anyone who understands how the sector operates knows that isn’t true. This exemption is cosmetic. Beneath the surface, this Budget delivers a devastating blow to the very ecosystem that racing relies on.

“What the Chancellor has actually done is impose one of the largest tax hikes on any industry in modern times. Online gaming duty will soar from 21% to 40% in 2026 – a 90% increase. Sports betting duty will rise from 15% to 25% the following year, up nearly 67%. The Treasury expects £1.1 billion a year in additional tax by 2029. These are not harmless revenue raisers; they will fundamentally reshape the market, and not for the better.

“Steep tax rises layered on top of major new regulation will not make gambling safer. They will do the opposite – pushing ordinary players out of the regulated sector, which protects consumers, and into the illegal, unsafe and highly harmful black market, where none of those safeguards exist. This is particularly worrying given that gambling harm in the UK remains low at 0.4%, according to both the NHS Health Survey and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. Driving customers into an unregulated black market risks this.

“Even the Treasury predicts a £500m increase in unlicensed activity and has allocated just £26m to counter it. That sum is a drop in the ocean given the scale of the threat, which this very Budget will accelerate.”

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