- Swansea University
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
During the historical UK Government’s Gambling Act Review White Paper, Rhodes provided statutory advice on the matter. This would go on to reshape the industry in the country, triggering several rounds of consultations regarding the online gambling landscape, safeguarding measures and affordability checks.
Rhodes was also instrumental in managing the Fourth National Lottery Licence, which was the first time since operations when a new company was chosen for the licence. As part of this change, the Gambling Commission introduced an ‘Incentive Mechanism’, which would mean that all National Lottery products will contribute towards the Returns to Good Causes initiative at an equal level. This means that Allwyn will only see profits increase if the Returns to Good Causes fund also goes up.
EMPLOYMENT
Alongside his work at the Gambling Commission, Rhodes is also the Chair of the Swansea City AFC Foundation, the charitable business arm of the football club. The Foundation oversees several projects, including supporting young people from deprived areas and mental health support. As Chair, Rhodes is responsible for guiding the trust and accountable for its decisions. He began this work in August 2021 and is still present in the role, at the time of writing.
Prior to this, Rhodes was the Registrar and COO at Swansea University, holding this position for three years, from April 2018 until May 2021. During this time, Rhodes was responsible for overseeing the commercial, operational and support services at the University, as well as being the authority on potential conflicts, such as misconduct, probity and ethical issues.
Rhodes also served as an Independent Member of the RAF Air Command Audit Committee as a Non-Executive, from August 2013 until July 2020. In this role, he would report directly to the Chief of Air Staff in order to give his input and advice on audit and risk management processes.
In 2015, Rhodes joined the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a Benefits Services director, where he was responsible for the delivery of the benefits for over 10 million adults and children. In 2016, he would become the Director General of Operations, where he would lead and oversee 72,000 operational staff, until April 2018.
“I think we need to accept in a difficult debate that someone can have a different view to yours, but in setting out a different perspective or highlighting the evidence, we are not necessarily trying to take someone’s opinion away from them.”- Andrew Rhodes, during ICE 2024 Andrew Rhodes
Interviews and public speeches
Gambling Insider's Tim Poole spoke with Andrew Rhodes during the 2024 Betting and Gaming Council's AGM, where they discussed what it takes to build a relationship with the industry, the falling RTP ratio and what that means for the industry, the issue of bonuses and T&Cs abuse.
