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Grainne Hurst
CEO
BGC
Grainne Hurst has had a broad career spanning both politics and gaming. Her diverse experience, strategic vision and commitment to responsible gaming have positioned her as a prominent figure in the industry – ultimately leading to her appointment as the new CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council in 2024.
Major Achievements
Hurst is a seasoned professional in the betting and gaming industry who has brought a wealth of experience to her current role as the CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council.
One of her earliest achievements was founding the Return Ships programme, which supports people returning to work after periods of absence. While it was directed at women, who are more likely to leave for long periods of time through maternity leave or caring for family members, it’s open to anyone.
This passion was carried into her later career, where Hurst would join the Global Gaming Women in 2021. Here, she continued the momentum seen in the US and carried it on in the UK, across Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
During her time at Entain, Hurst was instrumental in the development of the company’s safer gambling strategy, ‘Changing for the Bettor’.
Employment
Hurst’s career trajectory began in the political arena, where she served as a Parliamentary Researcher for MP Philip Davies from 2010 to 2012. In this role, Hurst was responsible for media monitoring, drafting parliamentary speeches and conducting in-depth research on civil liberties and the criminal justice system. She gained valuable insight into UK government operations and played an important role in positioning her office on major issues such as gambling, the BBC and the 2012 Olympics.
Her expertise in public affairs continued to grow as she transitioned to a consultant position at Luther Pendragon where she further honed her skills in communications and policy strategy.
In 2012, Hurst took on a new role as a Senior Public Affairs Manager at Asda. During her time there, she became a senior member of the lobbying team and was responsible for parliamentary engagement and external communications.
Her career then took another turn when she joined the UK Government as a Special Adviser, leveraging her expertise to provide strategic guidance and support from July 2014 to May 2015.
Hurst’s entry into the gambling sector came in 2015 when she joined Ladbrokes Coral as Head of Public Affairs. In total she held this role for just shy of three years, before moving on March 2018.
Immediately after this, Hurst was appointed as the Group Director of Corporate Affairs at Entain. In this role, she was responsible for leading the company’s activities and relationships with government and the public sector, playing a key part in the rebrand of GVC to Entain. During her tenure, Hurst was instrumental in the development of Entain’s safer gambling strategy, ‘Changing for the Bettor,’ and served on the board of the Entain Foundation.
Finally, in 2024, Hurst was appointed as the CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, where she now leads the organisation in its efforts to represent the interests of the UK’s betting and gaming industry. In her new role, she has already set ambitious goals, particularly in implementing the recommendations outlined in the government’s White Paper on gambling reform.
Commenting on her appointment to the position, Hurst stated:
“I’m absolutely delighted to get started as CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, the industry champion for so many iconic brands, at home in the UK and around the world.”
“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s White Paper, many of which our members called for.”
“My huge thanks go to Michael Dugher for his amazing work so far getting the BGC to where it is today, I’m really looking forward to working alongside Michael in his new role as BGC Chair.”
