Vicky Foxcroft MP has officially taken on the role of parliamentary under-secretary of state for Museums, Heritage, Gambling, and Lords within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). She steps into this position after Baroness Twycross, who held the role since 2024.
Foxcroft, representing Lewisham North, has been serving as an MP since 2015. In 2019, she was active as shadow minister responsible for DCMS, advocating for several stringent gambling reform initiatives.
Her engagement with the issue is ongoing; she was a key supporter of an early day motion in June 2025 advocating for “high street gambling reform.” This motion raised alarms about the “lack of sufficient powers to regulate the spread of gambling premises due to the statutory aim to permit.” It emphasized the limitations placed on local councils, restricting their ability to deny new gambling venue applications in communities already burdened with gambling establishments, recognizing gambling as a “public health issue.”
Just days before her appointment, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a reversal of the controversial “aim to permit” rule for councils, launching new measures aimed at addressing the proliferation of betting and vaping shops.
Foxcroft has previously highlighted what she called an “epidemic of problem gambling.” In 2018, she urged the government to implement a ban on using credit cards for bets and to empower banks to restrict problem gamblers from online gaming.
The new minister has also backed a ban on gambling advertisements during live sports and supported the 1% statutory levy, which began in November 2024. This levy mandates that license holders contribute between 0.2% and 1.1% of their annual gross gaming yield to research and gambling harm prevention, reflecting objectives outlined in the Gambling Act review white paper.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) welcomed Foxcroft on Wednesday, commending her history of advocating for a balanced, evidence-led approach to gambling regulation that protects vulnerable populations, especially children and young individuals, while allowing responsible gambling for adults.
Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, noted the organization’s eagerness to work collaboratively with Foxcroft, particularly on combating the illegal gambling black market, which harms consumers and does not contribute to the economy or British sports. Hurst reinforced the industry's need for regulations that are “properly targeted and fit for purpose,” highlighting the importance of considering the overall impact of regulation and recent tax hikes on employment and industry competitiveness.
In her response, Hurst thanked Baroness Twycross for her thoughtful and constructive engagement with the gambling sector, referencing her role in the development of the government’s gambling white paper and the implementation of financial risk assessments (FRAs).
