Maarten Haijer, who led the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) for 13 years, has been named director general of a new international industry body, the World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA).

The WGBA announced the appointment on 9 October. It describes itself as “a global alliance of regulated gaming and betting operators, industry associations, and other stakeholders”. It is set up as a non-profit association under Swiss law and will be based in Geneva. Its website lists bet365, Entain, Flutter, FDJ United and EGBA as members, and names EGBA as one of its founding members.

A global lobby for regulated markets

The alliance says it will promote “fair, effective and proportionate” regulatory frameworks that protect consumers, reduce gambling-related harm, support integrity in regulated markets and tackle illegal gambling. It plans to work with governments, regulators, law enforcement, public health bodies and international institutions under three themes: making the case for regulated gambling, promoting safer play and tackling illegal gambling.

“At WGBA, we aim to unite the international gaming and betting community around the shared purpose of championing effective regulation, high industry standards, and evidence-led policy,” Haijer said in a LinkedIn post announcing his new role.

“The global regulatory landscape is evolving fast. The case for well-regulated markets has never been more important, both for consumers and for the societies in which they operate,” he added.

The WGBA’s governance structure consists of a general assembly of members, a board appointed by the assembly, and a secretariat. It has not yet named a chair or board members. Haijer is the only staff member listed on its website. According to his comments reported in the trade press, a formal launch is planned in Geneva in November, alongside the alliance’s first flagship report. While the body is being set up, EGBA administers its website.

From Brussels to Geneva

Haijer joined EGBA in 2008 as director of regulatory affairs and became secretary general in 2013. Before that he worked at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and at the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation to the EU. EGBA credits him with helping to open European markets to regulated competition and with setting up European Safer Gambling Week.

The Brussels-based association announced his departure on 27 August. Pierre Tournier, a senior director who joined EGBA in November 2025 after senior roles at the Betting and Gaming Council and the Remote Gambling Association, has been interim secretary general since 1 September.

“The growth of the illegal market remains the biggest threat to players and to the regulated sector alike,” Tournier said on taking over.

Why it matters

The WGBA’s listed members include several of the largest regulated operators in Europe and North America, and its leadership comes from EGBA. That suggests the major groups want a single voice in international debates that go beyond the EU, from the spread of unlicensed offshore gambling to the treatment of prediction markets and new licensing regimes in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Other international bodies already cover parts of the sector. The World Lottery Association represents state lotteries, and the International Betting Integrity Association focuses on match-fixing and suspicious betting. None of the listed operators has yet publicly commented on its membership. The make-up of the WGBA board, and whether more operators and associations join before the November launch, will show how far its reach extends.

The Gambling Commission has started recruiting a permanent chief executive, offering a salary of around £190,000. The post has been without a permanent holder since Andrew Rhodes left in April.

The advert, run by executive search firm GatenbySanderson, closes at noon on 23 October. Preliminary interviews are scheduled for 5 to 13 November, followed by assessments and informal conversations in the last two weeks of November. A final in-person panel and a stakeholder engagement exercise will be held on 9 December.

The role is based in Birmingham on a hybrid basis, with national and international travel. The successful candidate must hold, or be eligible for, Developed Vetting security clearance.

A period of change

The job description says the new chief executive will lead the regulator through “a significant period of change”, overseeing reforms arising from the Gambling Act Review and positioning the Commission as a forward-looking regulator in an “increasingly digital and data-driven market”. The role also covers National Lottery regulation and accounting officer duties. It calls for a national and international profile, including work with overseas regulators on what the advert calls “the threat from illegal gambling”.

Candidates are expected to have led a large, complex organisation and a digital or data-driven transformation, and to show commercial acumen, political awareness and resilience under public scrutiny. Previous chief executive or accounting officer experience and a regulatory or public-sector background are described as advantageous rather than essential.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, the Commission’s board appoints the chief executive. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport must consent to the terms and conditions of employment.

Leadership reshuffle

The recruitment completes a wider change at the top of the regulator. Rhodes announced in February that he would leave on 30 April to take up a new role, ending nearly five years in charge. He joined as interim chief executive in June 2021 and was made permanent in May 2022, leading the Commission through the implementation of the 2023 gambling white paper.

“It has been a privilege to lead the Gambling Commission through such an important period of change,” Rhodes said at the time. Deputy chief executive Sarah Gardner has been acting chief executive since his departure.

Ruth Evans, former chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and current chair of Stop Scams UK, began a five-year term as chair on 30 September. She replaced interim chair Charles Counsell. Over the summer, Tim Miller, executive director for policy and research, announced he was leaving, and Sarah Fox was seconded from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to lead policy, research and National Lottery regulation.

What the next chief executive inherits

The new chief executive will take over as the white paper programme reaches what the Commission has called its “final stages”. Measures already in place or being phased in include financial risk checks, stake limits on online slots, a cap on bonus wagering requirements and tighter controls on online game design. The statutory gambling levy, which the Commission has collected since April 2025, has replaced voluntary industry contributions to research, prevention and treatment.

The incoming leader will also oversee a new corporate strategy and the Commission’s push against illegal gambling. When Evans was appointed, Counsell described that work as “world leading”. With a final panel set for 9 December, the appointment is unlikely to be confirmed before the start of 2027.

The UK Tote Group has appointed James Coxon, chief operating officer at Gaming Innovation Group (GiG), as its next chief executive, succeeding Alex Frost, who will step down at the end of 2026 after almost nine years at the helm. The leadership change comes with a restructure that will see the Tote close its gaming business and refocus on horserace pool betting.

Frost led the consortium that bought the Tote from Betfred and has been chief executive since the UK Tote Group took ownership in 2019. According to the Racing Post, he first raised succession with the board at the start of the year. He will remain an executive director through 2027 before moving to a non-executive role on the board.

“I’m handing over the CEO role, but I’m certainly not walking away from the Tote,” Frost told the Racing Post, adding that the next phase required “a different set of skills and fresh energy at the top”.

Coxon’s background

Coxon brings more than 20 years of experience across B2B and B2C betting and gaming. He held senior leadership roles at DraftKings following its acquisition of sportsbook technology provider SBTech, before joining platform supplier GiG, where he most recently served as COO. The group did not give a start date.

John Williamson, chairman of the Tote, said Frost had “provided strong leadership over the past nine years”, describing his successor as exceptionally well placed to lead the business through its next phase of development, according to Gaming Intelligence.

Gaming out, racing in

The restructure scales back what has been heavy investment in the Tote’s direct-to-consumer digital business outside racing. Its gaming operation will close, and the consumer offering will become more racing-focused across its digital platforms, although a complementary sportsbook will be retained. Frost cited tax increases and a demanding regulatory environment as reasons for leaving gaming.

Some digital roles will be lost, partly offset by new B2B positions, and a staff consultation has begun. Frost said the group’s priority would be supporting affected colleagues, and that the business remained profitable with no debt.

The centrepiece of the strategy is the World Pool, the commingled international pool launched with the Hong Kong Jockey Club at Royal Ascot in 2019. It has generated more than £65m for British and Irish racecourses, and according to Gaming Intelligence, World Pool revenues have grown by around 40% this year, with double-digit growth expected in 2027. The group is also exploring linking domestic bets such as the Placepot with major international multi-leg pools.

“The Tote’s future is in developing horserace betting pools both in the UK and internationally,” Frost said.

Why it matters

The move follows a wider retreat from non-core verticals among UK operators facing higher gambling taxes, and it makes the Tote one of the clearest examples of a business narrowing to its specialist product. For British racing, which depends on pool betting contributions, the bet is that international liquidity can offset a softer domestic betting market. Coxon’s platform background suggests B2B distribution of Tote pools will be a priority when he takes over.