Stephanie Peacock appointed as UK's new gambling minister

Stephanie Peacock, Labour MP for Barnsley South, has been appointed as the gambling minister within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Previously, she served as the shadow minister for Media, Gambling, and Sport until last week's general election, where she retained her South Yorkshire seat as part of Labour's sweeping victory.

Over the past year, Peacock has been a vocal advocate for British racing, emphasizing the need to protect the future of the sport during an October debate. In 2023, she visited Doncaster as a guest of Arena Racing Company and participated in discussions about affordability checks, expressing concerns shared by the racing and betting industries. Recently, she also spoke at the Betting and Gaming Council's annual meeting, supporting the BGC's Grand National charity bet campaign.

Peacock will be working under Lisa Nandy, who was recently named secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport. In a post on X, Peacock wrote: "It is an honour to have been asked by the Prime Minister to serve in our new Labour Government. Can't wait to get started in the DCMS with Lisa Nandy."

Peacock's remit will include overseeing changes outlined in the Gambling Act white paper published last April. The document proposes significant transformations to gambling laws in Great Britain, including a new £2 ($2.6) maximum stake for under-25s playing online slots and a 2:1 ratio of Category B to Category C and D gaming machines in bingo halls and arcades. Additionally, the prohibition on debit card payments for gaming machines has been lifted.

The upcoming implementation of affordability checks for customers will also fall under Peacock's purview, with a six-month pilot program set to launch in August.

Peacock's appointment has already sparked comments from the industry, with many seeing it as an experienced hand at the helm. "While general elections always throw up uncertainty, the new gambling minister, Stephanie Peacock, has already been invested in the industry as shadow minister for Sport, Gambling and Media for the past 10 months," Neil Roarty, head of relations at ClickOut Media, says. "She is unlikely to bring about a 180-degree change in direction just to 'make her mark'. 

"However, it's still a wait-and-see game, as both she and Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for DCMS, may have clear goals for the sector that don't necessarily overlap with the work already undertaken by the previous party. One thing that's interesting to note is that the last proper gambling legislation back in 2005 was introduced under a landslide-winning Labour government. That might play a factor, but either way, it seems likely that Peacock will see through some of the changes established in this year's white paper with both parties keen on reform on public health grounds."