Yahoo Finance Betting and Gaming Council drafts in former Entain boss who rallied against ‘problem gambling’ as chief
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has appointed the former director of corporate affairs at Entain as its new chief executive.
Grainne Hurst, who has spent nearly a decade at Ladbrokes owner Entain, is set to replace current boss Michael Dugher, the chief of the organisation since it was founded in 2019.
It comes amid a broader changing of the guard within the BGC, with Dugher transitioning to the role of chair, filling the role of outgoing chairman Brigid Simmonds.
In January the BGC, which represents over 90 per cent of the regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK, announced Simmonds would step down as chairman on 20 April this year.
Hurst, who will take up her new role in the coming months, previously served as head of public affairs at Ladbrokes, prior to the takeover of it in 2017 by Entain, then known as GVC.
In her role at Entain, Hurst has previously said that “gambling isn’t the problem – problem gambling is the problem”.
She joins a number of high profile women in the gambling industry, including Denise Coates, the boss of online gambling company Bet365, Fanduel chief Amy Howe and, before her recent departure, ex-chief of Entain, Jette Nygaard-Anderson.
Hurst said: “I am delighted to be joining the BGC at such a crucial time for its members and the millions of customers they serve. I am very grateful to Michael Dugher for everything he has done in establishing the BGC and I look forward to working closely with him to move it forward.
“My focus will always be on ensuring that we have a well regulated industry which protects customers and looks after their interests.
“The betting industry in the UK has world leading businesses and iconic brands and I will work hard to ensure they remain so. There is much to be done and I look forward to getting started.
BCG publicly announced Hurst’s appointment on X on Monday:
We are delighted to announce Grainne Hurst will be the new Chief Executive of the BGC.
Grainne brings an unparalleled wealth of experience at a crucial time for the industry.
Read more about @GrainneHurst01 appointment ⬇️https://t.co/kP6mNSCvhD pic.twitter.com/Zyt1rWQJxV— Betting and Gaming Council (@BetGameCouncil) April 8, 2024
Hurst has led Entain’s relationships with the government and the public sector as well as the company rebrand from GVC to Entain.
She is also a board member of the Entain Foundation and, during her tenure at Entain, Hurst spearheaded initiatives like the development of a global safer gambling strategy, ‘Changing for the Bettor’.
She has also worked as a political researcher and a special adviser to the government.
BGC chief executive Michael Dugher, said: “Grainne’s appointment is excellent news for BGC and our members. She won a very tough, external recruitment process and clearly demonstrated that she has not only mission critical knowledge and experience in the regulated industry – both online and in the land based sector – but also a strong vision for continued change and improvement at the BGC.
“Driving further progress on safer gambling, whilst ensuring that the tens of thousands of people who work in the industry continue to have their voices heard, will remain at the heart of everything we do.
“Grainne’s wealth of experience, impressive leadership qualities, formidable campaigning skills and acumen will be essential in working with all of our members to take the BGC to the next level.
“She is someone who is rightly widely respected across the industry and, as I step back to become Chair of the BGC, I am confident she will work well with our talented staff to make a decisive impact as our new CEO.”
Hurst leaves Entain amid a rocky period for the stock, which is down almost 37 per cent over the past year. It was up five per cent on Monday following reports over the weekend that private equity group Apollo might be interested in making a takeover offer for some or all of the business.
