Andy Boucher to Succeed Griffiths as Chair of GambleAware Amid New Levy Introduction

GambleAware has announced that Boucher will succeed Siân Griffiths as chair, effective April 1. Griffiths, who became chair in July of the previous year, is stepping into retirement.

Boucher, who has been a member of the GambleAware board of trustees since December 2023, previously held the position of deputy chair within the charity.

In addition to his role at GambleAware, Boucher is active in several other organizations outside of the industry. He serves as the London place director for Business in the Community and as the partnerships director for the Social Mobility Business Partnership. Additionally, he is the chair of Sir George Monoux sixth form college and the vice chair and honorary secretary of the charity Making the Leap.

“This is a crucial time to assume the chair position at GambleAware,” Boucher remarked. “I am eager to guide the charity through this transitional phase. I am dedicated to developing a future gambling harm system that leverages the existing success and expertise of the charity, which has been at the forefront of this issue for many years.”

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Griffiths’ departure from GambleAware corresponds with the launch of a new statutory levy in Britain aimed at addressing gambling-related harm. Announced in November, the levy is part of the government’s strategy to generate £100 million (€119.3 million/$128.7 million) through a percentage of industry stakeholders’ profits for harm prevention initiatives. Last week, gambling minister Baroness Twycross confirmed that the levy will take effect on April 6.

“Gambling harms represent a significant public health challenge, closely linked to issues of inequality and poverty,” Griffiths stated in her farewell comments. “They impact people from all backgrounds and can affect anyone. By collaborating with others and prioritizing the voices of those with lived experience, I hope that we can implement an evidence-based, population health strategy, supported by appropriate statutory funding, to prevent and mitigate harm for all those impacted.”