Battling the Black Market
Grainne Hurst is one of the most recognizable names among our Top 25, thanks to her hugely visible role at the helm of the U.K.’s leading gambling trade body. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is at the heart of U.K. gambling in its role as the industry’s representative.
Hurst was welcomed into the position in September and hit the ground running. Shortly after her promotion, the group published its first report on the scale of the U.K.’s gambling black market. In it, she calls for a more holistic approach to tackling the problem, as enforcement is “only part of the solution,” she said at the time.
She assumed the role during a truly pivotal transition for gambling, particularly in the U.K., where the sector is grappling with deep-rooted reforms introduced by the previous government’s white paper.
“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s white paper, many of which our members called for,” Hurst said upon taking the helm at the BGC.
“Our members are rightly proud of their vital role in the U.K. entertainment industry, and the significant part they play supporting the local and national economies through tax and high-value jobs.”
Intercepting the black market is at the top of Hurst’s to-do list. “My priority is ensuring we do everything in our power to do our job on this,” she told iGaming Business in a November interview. “We have to be continually promoting and enhancing the BGC members’ role in the leisure, entertainment and tourism sector, and ensuring policymakers and the wider public recognize there is a huge difference between us and the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market.”
It’s an overwhelming undertaking for Hurst, BGC and the sector as a whole, as many enforcement efforts so far have not been successful in mitigating black market activity. However, Hurst is wasting no time in taking on the issue and believes a unified approach will be beneficial in this battle.
“We can also work with partner trade bodies abroad, because fundamentally, this is an international challenge. I was proud this year to sign a memorandum of understanding with the American Gaming Association and the European Casino Association. I am excited to see where that takes us and what outcomes it secures,” she added.
“We need to keep the pressure on and keep raising this issue (of the black market) in the media and with policymakers, and ensure those other stakeholders are aware they have skin in this game too.”
Hurst jumped into action quickly in her role with the BGC. Her background in the civil service as an adviser and her subsequent work in corporate affairs for U.K. gambling powerhouse Entain has prepared her for life as a prominent figure, where scrutiny from the sector and the public is often part of the role.
She spent nine years in total at Entain, with her former years with the group spent as head of public affairs for its U.K. betting brand Ladbrokes. From there she took over as group director of corporate affairs for the whole group.
The CEO is not afraid to stand her ground, and during her time in gambling has gained the respect of her peers. Elsewhere, she is a board member for the Global Gaming Woman initiative and is an active participant in its events. In 2023 she was honored with the group’s Patty Becker Pay It Forward Award for demonstrating “outstanding commitment to the development and advancement of women, GGW and the community,” the group said at the time.
