Sarah Fox to Lead Policy and Research at UKGC
United Kingdom.- 30 July 2026 www.zonadeazar.com The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Sarah Fox will join its Executive Team on secondment from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Fox will lead the regulator’s Policy, Research and Statistics functions, together with its regulation of the National Lottery, during a period of substantial leadership change at the British authority.
News Details
The appointment comes ahead of the departure of Tim Miller, Executive Director of Policy and Research, who will leave the Gambling Commission in September 2026 after ten years with the organisation.
The regulator has not yet disclosed the duration of Fox’s secondment, her precise starting date or the formal title she will hold within the Executive Team.
Fox has led the Gambling and Lotteries team at DCMS for the past four years. Her responsibilities included the gambling white paper and its implementation, the transition to the fourth National Lottery licence and policy oversight of society lotteries and horse racing.
Industry Context
Fox has more than 23 years of Civil Service experience, including operational, strategic and policy roles at the Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care, Cabinet Office and other government departments.
She is also DCMS’s senior disability champion, supporting its staff network and internal work to improve disability confidence across the department.
Her arrival comes as the Gambling Commission completes the final stages of implementing reforms arising from the Gambling Act Review. The regulator must also assess the impact of those changes, strengthen consumer protection and oversee the fourth National Lottery licence.
The Commission is simultaneously undergoing leadership transition. Sarah Gardner has served as Acting Chief Executive since Andrew Rhodes departed, while Charles Counsell remains Interim Chair.
Statements
Sarah Gardner said Fox’s existing experience across gambling and lotteries would be invaluable as the Commission completes implementation of the white paper, evaluates the effects of the reforms and protects National Lottery players and returns to good causes.
Sarah Fox said she had observed the Commission’s work at first hand over the previous four years and welcomed the opportunity to help make gambling safer, fairer and free from crime.
Next Steps or Impact
Fox’s move from the government department responsible for developing much of the reform programme to the regulator delivering it may support institutional continuity during a decisive stage for British gambling regulation.
Her principal responsibilities will include evaluating new player-protection measures, overseeing research and gambling statistics and maintaining regulatory supervision of the National Lottery.
The Gambling Commission must also establish a permanent senior leadership structure, complete its outstanding appointments and maintain operational stability while delivering one of the most significant reform programmes the British market has experienced in recent decades.
Edited by: @_fonta
