Paul Scully to Oversee UK Gambling

Newly elected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has appointed Paul Scully MP as the Minister to take over the UK gambling industry affairs.

Scully has long been the Conservative Party MP for Sutton and Cheam since 2015. Until recently, he held the position of the Minister of State for Local Government and Building Safety as well as the MInistery for London. Both of these positions were held concurrently.

As a result of the latest changes in the government, Scully will be taking on the position of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy (Gambling Minister), whilst at the same time continuing his work as the Minister for London. This role was also currently being held by Chris Philp until recently.

Philp was the first minister to take on the newly-created position in 2021. His role has been to oversee the Gambling Act review until he resigned in protest of Boris Johnson’s government much earlier this year.

After only three months, Scully’s confirmation as DCMS Gambling Minster also comes after Damian Collins vacated this role. Scully has now become the fifth Minister in charge of managing and overseeing the Gambling Act review.

“I’m excited to get stuck into my new role as Minister for Tech at DCMS and delighted to continue the work with so many friends as Minister for London,” the new Minister remarked on Twitter.

CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, Michael Dugher has welcomed and congratulated the new Minister. “On behalf of the 119,000 people whose jobs are supported by our members – from the high street to hospitality, from tourism to world-leading British tech – I’d like to congratulate both Paul Scully MP on his new role and Michelle Donelan MP on her re-appointment as Secretary of State for DCMS,” Dugher’s declaration read.

The statement continued, “We are ready to work with DCMS to help find carefully targeted, proportionate measures which achieve the right balance,” he added.

“We want to continue to drive big changes and drive higher standards on safer gambling to better protect the most vulnerable, whilst at the same time ensuring that the 22.5 million punters who enjoy a flutter each month, perfectly safely and responsibly, have the freedom to do so.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Damian Collins MP, the widely respected outgoing minister who was leading on the Review, for his willingness to engage with the industry and understand the contribution we make to the economy.”