On Monday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that Ruth Evans has been appointed as the new chair of the Gambling Commission, succeeding Charles Counsell, who has held the position since February 2025 after taking over from Marcus Boyle in January of the previous year.
Evans, the founder and current chair of Stop Scams UK, an initiative established in 2019 to unite banks, tech companies, and telecom providers in the fight against payment fraud, is set to begin her five-year term on September 30. The DCMS recognized her extensive background in public protection and financial crime prevention as a valuable asset for the role.
Her previous positions include chairing the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) and the Bar Standards Board, and she has also served as a lay member of the General Medical Council. Additionally, Evans was a non-executive director at the Serious Fraud Office and played a crucial role in developing a voluntary industry code to compensate victims of authorized push payment (APP) scams, which was introduced in 2018.
As Counsell prepares to exit, he noted that the Gambling Commission is working on a new strategy to combat illegal gambling. Evans will have a key role in finalizing measures outlined in the white paper following the Gambling Act review.
Evans expressed her commitment to improving "online safety" through "proportionate regulation with partnership and shared responsibility" among regulators, industry players, and technology firms.
DCMS Secretary of State Lisa Nandy praised Evans’s appointment, stating, "She becomes chair at this incredibly important time, supporting a sustainable, thriving industry with the essential protections needed to prevent harm."
This transition comes as part of a wider reshuffle at the regulator, with the departure of policy and research director Tim Miller after a decade in the role.
