Vicky Foxcroft MP has taken on the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Museums, Heritage, Gambling and Lords Minister, overseeing the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). She succeeds Baroness Twycross, who held the position since 2024.
Foxcroft, representing Lewisham North, has served as an MP since 2015 and previously acted as the shadow minister for the DCMS in 2019, where she backed several stringent gambling reform initiatives.
In June 2025, she notably supported an early day motion addressing ‘High street gambling reform,’ which highlighted issues with the inadequate powers to control the proliferation of gambling establishments due to existing statutory obligations. This motion brought to light the challenges councils face in denying applications for new gambling venues in areas already saturated, describing gambling as a ‘public health issue.’
Shortly before her appointment, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a reversal of the ‘aim to permit’ rule for local councils, introducing new measures aimed at regulating betting and vape shops more effectively.
Foxcroft has frequently expressed concern regarding the ‘epidemic of problem gambling.’ In 2018, she urged the government to prohibit credit card betting and advocated for measures allowing banks to prevent problem gamblers from engaging in online betting transactions. Furthermore, she has consistently supported a ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts and championed the implementation of a 1% statutory levy, which was enacted in November 2024.
This levy requires licensed operators to contribute between 0.2% and 1.1% of their annual Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) towards research and initiatives aimed at preventing gambling-related harms. This levy was part of the broader Gambling Act review white paper.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) welcomed Foxcroft’s appointment, commending her advocacy for a balanced and evidence-based approach to gambling regulation. They noted her commitment to protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children and young people, while enabling responsible adult gambling.
Grainne Hurst, CEO of BGC, emphasized the organization’s eagerness to collaborate with Foxcroft, particularly on addressing the significant illegal gambling black market, which poses risks to consumers and provides no economic benefit or support for British sports. Hurst reiterated the industry's call for regulatory policies that are proportionate and take into account the collective impact of recent tax increases and regulation on jobs, investments, and the competitiveness of the legal sector.
In her remarks, Hurst expressed gratitude to Foxcroft’s predecessor, Baroness Twycross, for her thoughtful and constructive engagement with the gambling industry during her tenure, notably in the development of the gambling white paper and the implementation of financial risk assessments (FRAs).
