Stephanie Peacock appointed as new gambling minister

Stephanie Peacock, the Labour MP for Barnsley South, has been appointed as the new gambling minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Peacock previously served as the shadow minister for Media, Gambling, and Sport until last week’s general election, where she retained her seat in South Yorkshire as part of a significant victory for Labour.

Over the past year, Peacock has been a strong advocate for British racing, arguing during an October debate that “the future of racing must be protected for generations to come.” She was also among the MPs who visited Doncaster in 2023 as guests of Arena Racing Company.

In February, Peacock participated in the debate on affordability checks, expressing concerns shared by the racing and betting industry as well as the tens of thousands of people who signed a petition against them. She spoke at the Betting and Gaming Council’s annual meeting the same month and supported the BGC’s Grand National charity bet campaign.