Gambling reform advocates in parliament have written to the Gambling Commission expressing serious concerns about the appointment of Phil Walker as Allwyn UK’s Interim Chief Executive Officer.
MPs Iain Duncan Smith and Dawn Butler, both prominent voices in campaigns for stricter gambling regulation, penned a letter describing themselves as “deeply concerned” about the new appointment.
The letter, reported by The Guardian, marks the latest confrontation between the two MPs and the broader gambling industry they have long sought to reform.
Walker previously held senior executive roles at William Hill for over four years before moving into other high-profile positions across the sector.
He also served as Chief Commercial Officer at 888 Holdings, now known as evoke, between 2023 and 2024, following that company’s acquisition of William Hill in 2021.
Walker was serving as UK and Ireland Managing Director when William Hill was ordered to pay a £19.2 million settlement to the Gambling Commission in March 2023 for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
Given the severity of that settlement, Walker’s Personal Management Licence was reviewed, and in May 2024 he received a sanction but was permitted to retain his licence.
The Commission’s then-CEO noted at the time that the regulator came close to suspending the group’s gambling licence entirely, underlining how serious the situation was considered to be.
Butler and Duncan Smith also raised concerns about Walker’s current role as a Non-Executive Director at City Gaming, which owns adult gaming centre operator Game Nation.
Notably, both the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport were already aware of Walker’s appointment before it was announced publicly, making the letter something of a formal escalation rather than a revelation.
Critics of the two MPs may point out that their consistent opposition to current betting regulations means any CEO appointment at the lottery operator with an industry background could face similar scrutiny regardless of the individual’s record.
Allwyn UK operates the National Lottery, and it is entirely reasonable to expect its leadership to carry direct experience from within the broader gambling industry, including from major retail betting brands.
Many of the UK’s largest gambling operators have at various points faced regulatory penalties, meaning Walker’s background is far from unique among senior executives across the sector.
The appointment clearly warrants careful consideration given the public-facing nature of the National Lottery, but the debate around Walker reflects the wider tension between reform-minded politicians and an industry undergoing significant regulatory change in 2026.
