Sarah Fox has joined the UK Gambling Commission's executive team on secondment from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, taking charge of policy, research, statistics, and National Lottery regulation. Fox led DCMS's Gambling and Lotteries Team for four years and brings more than two decades of Civil Service experience. The appointment, announced 29 July 2026, comes as the Commission operates without a permanent Chief Executive and prepares for the departure of Policy and Research director Tim Miller in September 2026.
Who Is Sarah Fox?
Fox brings more than 23 years of Civil Service experience, including roles at the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in addition to DCMS. For the past four years, she led DCMS's Gambling and Lotteries Team, where she covered the publication and implementation of the 2023 Gambling Act White Paper, the transfer of the National Lottery operating licence from Camelot to Allwyn, and policy oversight of society lotteries and horse racing. She has also served as a senior disability champion at DCMS.
At the Commission, Fox will lead Policy and Research, and Statistics, together with regulation of the National Lottery.
Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner welcomed the appointment: "We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with Sarah's experience joining us. Having someone already working across the gambling and lotteries sector will be invaluable." Fox said: "The opportunity to cross over to the Commission and help the team continue making gambling safer, fairer and crime free is one I am really excited to take."
A Regulator In Transition
The appointment lands during a period of leadership change at the Commission. Andrew Rhodes left as Chief Executive on 30 April 2026 after almost five years in post, with Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner stepping up as Acting Chief Executive since. Separately, Tim Miller, the Commission's Executive Director of Policy and Research, announced in June 2026 that he will leave in September 2026 after ten years of service, to work outside UK regulated gambling supporting other regulators internationally.
The Commission has named no permanent successor to Rhodes, and Miller's own replacement has not been confirmed. Trade press has characterised the period as a broader leadership shake-up at the regulator. Fox's remit covers the same policy and research area Miller currently leads, though the Commission has not stated that she is his direct successor.
Why This Matters For UK Players
The Commission frames Fox's appointment as reinforcing capacity as it works through the "final stages" of implementing the Gambling Act Review White Paper, the reform package that has already reshaped rules covering online slot stake limits, affordability checks, and advertising standards for UK-licensed operators. A stable policy and research function matters directly to players, since it is the part of the Commission responsible for the evidence base behind future rule changes, including the ongoing rollout of Financial Risk Assessments.
Gambling Zone will continue to track how the Commission's leadership changes affect the pace of White Paper implementation over the coming months.
