The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) requires a new Director of Communications, following the departure of Kevin Schofield as the trade body’s media and public-relations lead.   

 A 25-year politics journalist, Schofield had joined the BGC at the beginning of 2020, as the trade body began its mandate to become ‘the single representative voice’ of the UK gambling sector taking over the responsibilities of Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and The Senet Group.

Schofield’s appointment was deemed as integral to the BGC’s founding strategy, in how the trade body would represent UK gambling and its licensed operators ahead of critical judgements that will be delivered by the government’s generational review of the 2005 Gambling Act.

The departure was confirmed to PR Week, as Schofield has chosen to return to a news desk in becoming the Politics Editor of HuffPost UK – a position that the former Director stated he could not turn down.  

BGC Chief Executive, Michael Dugher, thanked Schofield for his “superb job helping to establish the BGC as the new standards body driving change on safer gambling”, and helping better and fairly represent “a regulated sector that supports 119,000 jobs and pays billions in tax.”

“I always knew that he was one of the finest journalists of his generation, but it has been a privilege to work with him as he rightly emerged with a reputation as being one of the best communications professionals in the country,” Dugher stated to PR Week.

“He leaves BGC for what is undoubtedly an exciting opportunity and one that befits his immense talent. Kevin and his family remain dear friends, and I wish them all the very best for the future