Foster leaves Paddy Power Betfair for regulatory role at GVC

GVC Holdings has appointed David Foster, formerly public affairs manager at Paddy Power Betfair, as its new head of regulatory affairs.

Foster spent over three years at Paddy Power Betfair, where he was responsible for the development of both policy and regulatory frameworks as part of the operator’s growth strategy.

He took on the role after serving as public affairs manager for Betfair, prior to its merger with Paddy Power in 2016. Foster also spent 18 months serving on the board with international betting integrity body ESSA while at Paddy Power Betfair.

Earlier in his career, Foster was UK and European Union regulatory officer for the Sport and Recreation Alliance, the umbrella body for sport and recreation in the UK, and also served as a parliamentary advisor in the European Parliament.

“Really excited to have started my new role as head of regulatory affairs at GVC Group in London,” Foster said in a post on his LinkedIn page. “[I’m] looking forward to reconnecting with some of my contacts and former colleagues over the coming weeks.”

Foster joins GVC after the operator, which owns the Ladbrokes Coral business, this week posted its financial results for 2018.

Net gaming revenue amounted to £3.0bn (€3.49bn/$3.94bn), up from £815.9m. On a proforma basis, incorporating Ladbrokes Coral’s performance from January 1, 2018, NGR was up 9% year-on-year to £3.6bn.

Paddy Power Betfair has also this week revealed growth for 2018, with revenue up 7% year-on-year to £1.9bn. This was driven by a 6% increase in sports revenue to £1.5bn, while gaming revenue, meanwhile, grew 11% to £399m.