TLDR
- Phil Walker is set to become interim CEO of Allwyn UK, which runs the National Lottery
- He is stepping back from his board role at Game Nation, a chain of adult gaming centres
- Two MPs have asked the Gambling Commission about his gambling industry history
- Walker was sanctioned in 2024 over anti-money-laundering failures at William Hill
- The UK government is pushing new rules to limit the growth of gaming centres
Phil Walker is preparing to take over as interim chief executive of Allwyn UK. The company runs Britain’s National Lottery under a licence that lasts until 2034.
His appointment comes after the departure of Andria Vidler from the role. Around 20 million people play the National Lottery regularly, and the operator sends billions of pounds to good causes each year.
Before this role, Walker worked as the UK and Ireland boss of William Hill. He also sat on the board of City Gaming Ltd, the parent company of Game Nation.
MPs Raise Concerns Over Background
Game Nation is the third-largest chain of adult gaming centres in the country. These venues are often called slot farms because of the number of machines inside them.
Labour MP Dawn Butler and former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith have written to the Gambling Commission. They want to know more about Walker’s time at William Hill and his role at Game Nation.
Company filings suggest his board position at City Gaming likely paid him more than £50,000 a year. This was despite the role involving a limited number of meetings.
Game Nation has confirmed that Walker will step back from the board starting September 1. He will stay away for as long as he holds the interim lottery job.
A Shift in Government Policy
The political mood toward gaming centres has changed. Before becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham criticized adult gaming centres for targeting vulnerable communities.
This month, the government announced plans to give local councils more power to block new betting and gaming venues. The move targets the licensing rules that have allowed chains like Game Nation to expand.
Walker was personally sanctioned by the Gambling Commission in 2024. This followed failures in anti-money-laundering and terrorist-financing checks at William Hill.
William Hill had already been fined a record £19.2 million the year before for related failings. Walker kept his personal gambling licence despite the sanction.
Allwyn has pointed to this outcome as evidence that Walker remains fit to work in the gambling industry. The company values his experience in digital gambling, operations, and marketing.
The MPs want to know if regulators weighed Walker’s past record before he was chosen for the lottery post. The Gambling Commission has not commented on the personnel decisions of individual companies.
City Gaming is backed by investors linked to a fund managed by Morgan Stanley. Game Nation reported £32 million in annual revenue last year.
Past Legal Case Adds to Scrutiny
An employment tribunal ruled last year that Game Nation must pay a former staff member close to £6,600. The case followed an incident where a customer paid a homeless man to defecate at one of the venues.
The payment was ordered due to a procedural issue with the dismissal, not the incident itself. For the company, the amount is small compared to its yearly revenue.
Walker’s appointment at Allwyn is temporary, and his exit from Game Nation is already planned. Even so, questions about his industry background remain unresolved.
Butler and Duncan Smith are still waiting for a response from the Gambling Commission about whether Walker’s full history was reviewed before his selection.
