The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced that Sarah Fox, a senior leader from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will join the regulator’s executive team on secondment starting in September 2026. Fox will lead the Commission’s Policy, Research and Statistics functions alongside its regulation of the National Lottery.
Her appointment arrives at a crucial operational juncture as the regulator navigates the final stages of the Gambling Act Review white paper recommendations and maintains oversight of the fourth National Lottery licence transition.
Extensive Civil Service and Policy Background
Fox brings over 23 years of Civil Service experience to the role, having held operational, strategic, and policy positions across the Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care, Cabinet Office, and DCMS.
For the past four years, Fox served as the Deputy Director, leading the Gambling and Lotteries Team at DCMS. In that role, she managed the publication and initial implementation of the 2023 Gambling White Paper, oversaw the licence transfer from Camelot to Allwyn under the fourth National Lottery licence, and led policy development for horse racing and society lotteries.
Welcoming the appointment, Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner highlighted the strategic value of Fox’s experience across the sector:
Sarah’s role will be a vital one as we complete the final stages of the implementation of the white paper, assess the impacts of these changes, and continue to ensure the interests of National Lottery players are protected and that returns to Good Causes are maximised.
Expressing enthusiasm for the secondment, Sarah Fox noted:
Over the last four years I’ve seen first-hand the work of the Commission and the expertise, talent and enthusiasm of its teams. So much has been achieved over a time that has been significant for the gambling sector and everyone with an interest in it. The opportunity to cross over to the Commission and help the team continue making gambling safer, fairer and crime-free is one I am really excited to take.
Senior Executive Transition and Leadership Continuity
Fox’s secondment is part of a broader executive restructuring at the regulator. She will take over responsibilities previously managed by Executive Director of Policy and Research Tim Miller, who departs the Commission in September after a ten-year tenure.
The appointment provides senior stability for the regulator following earlier executive transitions, including when former UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes stepped down in April 2026. With Sarah Gardner serving as acting chief executive and Charles Counsell as interim chair, Fox’s arrival reinforces the commission’s senior leadership during an intensive regulatory cycle.
White Paper Rollout and Policy Priorities
A primary focus of Fox’s brief will involve evaluating the real-world impact of recently implemented white paper measures. The Gambling Commission continues to refine operational guidance for licensed operators to ensure consumer safety without imposing disproportionate friction on legitimate participants.
These priorities align with ongoing regulatory efforts to clarify complex compliance rules, such as recent UKGC financial risk assessments and document checks guidance designed to standardise how operators handle customer due diligence and financial checks.
Data-Driven Research and Compliance Oversight
In addition to policy rollout, Fox will oversee the regulator’s research and statistics portfolio. Modernising data collection methods and enhancing evidence-based decision-making remain core objectives for the Gambling Commission as it tracks consumer participation trends and illegal market threats.
As the UK market adopts increasingly sophisticated compliance technologies, the regulator continues to evaluate automated tools to strengthen market integrity. This analytical focus mirrors broader supervisory initiatives, such as the deployment of UKGC’s AI compliance and AML monitoring tools to detect suspicious financial transactions and enforce strict anti-money laundering standards across the regulated sector.