The Gambling Commission (GC) has confirmed that Kirsty Caldwell will serve as Interim Chair of its Industry Forum. This appointment comes shortly after a UK High Court ruling dismissed a civil privacy claim against the Gambling Commission by former executives Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman.
Caldwell, who weighed in on the possibility of rising UK gambling taxes when speaking on The Huddle, has been a member of the Forum since March 2024. She will take on the interim role during the recruitment process for a substantive Chair.
Caldwell is the founder and head of Betsmart Consulting, an advisory firm established in 2019 with a focus on regulatory compliance and industry standards.
As Interim Chair, Caldwell will oversee the Forum’s work to ensure continued engagement and input from industry members. The Gambling Commission’s work, informed by the Industry Forum, contributed £3.127m (£4.2m) to the UK Consolidated Fund in 2024/25.
Kirsty stated: "I am delighted to be taking on this role. I remain fully committed to building a healthy, respected gambling sector and cooperation and communication between regulator and industry is key to achieving this.
“We may not get it right every time, but the important thing is we learn from our mistakes, we keep talking and we keep moving forwards.”
Other recent industry appointments include Kalshi naming Blake Bee as Director of State Government Relations and Soft2Bet’s double hire, appointing Samuele Traversin as Executive VP and Harrison Barrett as VP of Business Development.
The Industry Forum brings together Britain’s gambling sector to provide the GC with insight on regulatory plans, services and the wider operating environment
