UK’s betting industry trade group names new chair

Thursday, April 23, 2026 8:37 PM
Photo: Shutterstock
  • Ted Orme-Claye, SBC News

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has revamped its senior leadership amid a new fallout and lobbying battle around gambling regulation and tax in the UK.

Kane Purdy, the Managing Director of Gamesys Operations, has been named the new non-executive Chair of the BGC. He will take on the role as Chair of the betting industry trade body with immediate effect, taking over from long-time Chair Michael Dugher.

Dugher, former Labour MP for Barnsley East, retired from the role in January 2026.

He had chaired the organization through a challenging regulatory period for UK gambling, notably the 2020-2023 review of the 2005 Gambling Act and the heated debates around taxation last year.