National lottery faces questions over new boss’s record in gambling industry

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Labour’s Dawn Butler and Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith told the Gambling Commission they were ‘deeply concerned’ by the appointment of Phil Walker. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen Labour’s Dawn Butler and Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith told the Gambling Commission they were ‘deeply concerned’ by the appointment of Phil Walker. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock National lottery National lottery faces questions over new boss’s record in gambling industry MPs tell regulator they are ‘deeply concerned’ over interim CEO Phil Walker’s roles at William Hill and Game Nation

Prefer the Guardian on Google The national lottery is facing questions over its new boss’s record in the gambling industry, including a lucrative role in the 24-hour slot machine sector singled out by the prime minister as a blight on British high streets.

Allwyn UK, which holds a licence to run the Lottery until 2034, said last week that it had appointed William Hill’s former UK and Ireland boss Phil Walker as its interim chief executive, replacing Andria Vidler.

While Walker may not get the job on a permanent basis, MPs have written to the Gambling Commission, the industry regulator, about his selection as a steward of the UK’s most high-profile gambling brand, given the lottery’s “unique position” in public life.

In a letter seen by the Guardian, Labour’s Dawn Butler and Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith told the regulator they were “deeply concerned” by the appointment.