Ruth Evans has been appointed Chair of the UK Gambling Commission for a five-year term beginning Sept. 30, ending almost 20 months without a permanent chair at the regulator. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed the appointment on Sept. 7, with Evans succeeding Charles Counsell, who has served as interim Chair since February 2025.
Evans currently chairs Stop Scams UK, an industry collaboration bringing together banks, technology companies, and telecommunications providers to combat fraud. She previously chaired the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which oversees MPs’ pay and expenses, and was the first Chair of the Bar Standards Board. Her regulatory background also includes nine years as a lay member of the General Medical Council and a non-executive directorship at the Serious Fraud Office.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will pay Evans £85,000 per year for a time commitment of two days a week. She was also appointed Chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board this summer, beginning a separate three-year term on Sept. 1. Evans has not declared any significant political activity during the previous five years, as required under the public appointments process.
Charles Counsell stepped into the Gambling Commission role after Marcus Boyle left on Jan. 31, 2025, having chaired the regulator since September 2021. Counsell was initially appointed on an interim basis from Feb. 1 and remained in the position while DCMS searched for a permanent replacement. Nandy thanked him for providing leadership during the transition.
Evans said her work in consumer protection had shown the value of collaboration between regulators, industry, and technology companies, and indicated that she intends to combine stronger online consumer protections with a sustainable regulated gambling sector. Her background at Stop Scams UK also gives the Commission a chair with direct experience coordinating financial institutions and technology platforms around fraud prevention, an area increasingly relevant to the regulator’s work against illegal gambling.
The Gambling Commission is currently completing several measures stemming from the UK government’s Gambling Act Review, including changes to age verification, online game design, direct marketing, deposit limits, and financial-risk controls. In July, it confirmed a staged introduction of Financial Risk Assessments intended to identify high-spending customers experiencing financial difficulties while reducing the need for operators to request documents directly from most players.
Andrew Rhodes left the Commission as chief executive on April 30 after almost five years in charge, leaving deputy CEO Sarah Gardner as Acting Chief Executive. Executive Director of Policy and Research Tim Miller is also due to leave in September after a decade at the regulator, while former DCMS gambling policy lead Sarah Fox joined the executive team this summer to oversee policy, research, statistics, and National Lottery regulation. Evans therefore takes over the Board during a wider reshuffle of senior leadership.
The Gambling Commission’s Board sets the regulator’s overall strategic direction, while day-to-day management remains with the executive team led by the chief executive. Evans will therefore lead the Board rather than replace Gardner as the Commission’s operational head. The regulator is also developing a new strategy, increasing its focus on illegal gambling, and finishing its remaining work under the Gambling Act Review.
Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst welcomed Evans’ appointment and said the industry body expects to work with her as the latest regulatory reforms are implemented. Evans will formally take over from Counsell on Sept. 30, giving the Gambling Commission its first permanent Chair since Boyle’s departure at the beginning of 2025.