Top 5 Influential People in the Gambling Industry in 2025

The gambling sector is undergoing significant transitional pains, epitomised by the rapid emergence of online gambling, an ongoing technological evolution, and a multifaceted, in many cases, fragmented regulatory system.

This dynamic interplay presents an enormous scope for growth and significant challenges regarding compliance, player protection, and intense market competition. The coming years are expected to be a period of constant innovation and manoeuvring, and novel leadership is required to make sense of it.

The most influential trends shaping the industry are the widespread implementation of mobile technology, the emergence of new markets, and the global community’s growing concern about the welfare of players, as well as the ethical operations of companies.

In this analysis, the term ‘influential people’ refers to those individuals whose strategic decision-making, innovative input, or regulatory control is likely to have a profound impact on the business, operational, or policy course of any given global gambling industry.

These would include the leadership of the large operating enterprises (B2C), providers of significant technology and content suppliers (B2B), and central players in the regulatory agencies and related industry advocacy organizations.

This report outlines the top five people whose leadership will play the most crucial role in determining the future development of the gambling industry in 2025. It is selected based on a comprehensive review of industry reports, executive statements, and official appointments that project influence into the target year.

The methodology is based on the priorities of roles that have a strategic impact throughout B2C operations, B2B innovation, and regulatory protection, presenting a comprehensive outlook on industry leadership.

The Top 5 Influential Leaders Shaping the Global Gambling Industry in 2025

This section profiles the ten individuals identified as most influential in the gambling industry for 2025, highlighting their current roles, key contributions, and projected Impact.

1. Peter Jackson

Current Role/Company: CEO, Flutter Entertainment.

Key Contributions and Areas of Influence: Holding a shareholder value of “the largest publicly traded operator in gambling”, Peter Jackson has the potential to drastically influence a large percentage of the international market with his strategic thinking.

Flutter Entertainment continually expands its market leadership position by acquiring reputable brands. Jackson strategically focuses on being passionate about challenger brands, having effective mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and creating success within the highly competitive US market. His leadership is displayed heavily in industry publications, such as Gambling Insider, Jan/Feb 2025, CEO Special.

Projected Impact in 2025: Jackson’s actions regarding market expansion, brand portfolio, and the incorporation of new technologies will set industry standards. His constant focus on strategic M&A operations is expected to further define the competitive environment and consolidation trend in the major gambling industries in 2025.

2. Grainne Hurst

Current Role/Company: CEO, Betting & Gaming Council (BGC).

Key Contributions and Areas of Influence: The Betting & Gaming Council is headed by Grainne Hurst and is the leading UK gambling industry trade body. Since she took over, implementing the white paper reforms and making an active effort against the black market of gambling in the UK have been her key priorities, pushing to adopt a comprehensive attitude toward gambling by distinguishing between licensed operators and non-licensed ones.

She takes efforts beyond the UK on the international level, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Gaming Association and the European Casino Association to combat the worldwide problem of a black market. Hurst serves as a board member of Global Gaming Women (GGW), which aligns with her interests in university and industry development. She appears in the Jan/Feb 2025 Issue of Gambling Insider, CEO Special Edition.

Projected Impact in 2025: The part of Hurst is crucial in defining the regulatory future of one of the world’s most mature and scrutinized gambling markets. Her lobbying initiatives have continued to shape policy, industry best practices, and the current campaign against the illegal gambling business, making her a crucial actor in the viability and image of the legitimate industry.

3. Adam Greenblatt

Current Role/Company: CEO, BetMGM.

Key Contributions and Areas of Influence: Adam Greenblatt is the head of BetMGM, one of the key market participants in the US sports betting and iGaming sector, which is experiencing enormous growth.

He has managed to achieve excellent growth in the first six months of 2025, attributing it to the successful implementation of the strategic plan that the Company has put in place. Through his leadership, BetMGM’s iGaming business has set new records, and its Online Sports business has delivered strong player engagement and player KPIs by implementing improved, scalable player targeting and management capabilities.

The leadership of Greenblatt is credited with making BetMGM healthier than at any given time since its inception, which reaffirms its prospects.

Projected Impact in 2025: As one of the primary executives in a narrow and profitable but also competitive market like the US, Greenblatt’s strategies for market share expansion, player acquisition, and profitability at BetMGM will also act as a major criterion for the entire gambling industry in North America.

He has led the achievement of high financial and operational performance in a tough environment, which makes him one of the most influential leaders to operators.

4. Charmaine Hogan

Current Role/Company: Head of Regulatory Affairs, Playtech.

Key Contributions and Areas of Influence: At Playtech, a leading B2B supplier, Charmaine Hogan leads the company in analyzing regulations and processes about new and emerging gaming markets. Her position is critical in supporting Playtech’s strategic entry into such markets by strictly following the regulatory requirements.

Additionally, Hogan has extensive experience in the gambling industry, with a background as a professional EU legislator and policy writer, as well as experience in discussions with European gambling regulators and contributions to the formulation of regulations.

Now in her new position, she pays special attention to the regulatory environment of recently regulated jurisdictions, especially in Latin America. She is an expert and leader in regulatory practices, which has led to her appointment to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Gaming Association.

Projected Impact in 2025: Hogan has a wealth of experience in regulatory affairs, which is very important in expanding into the global market as more jurisdictions embrace online gambling by regulation.

Her capacity to navigate intricate and varied regulatory standards and ensure adherence directly impacts the expansion possibilities of significant B2B suppliers, such as Playtech, thereby affecting the availability and organisation of new gambling markets worldwide.

5. James Curwen

Current Role/Company: CEO, Yggdrasil.

Key Contributions and Areas of Influence: With James Curwen as the new CEO of Yggdrasil, taking the reins of control over Bjorn Krantz in October of 2023, he has served in many positions within the gaming industry, one of which was his last position as Chief Online Officer of OPAP.

He is known to possess excellent tacit knowledge in the industry and leadership abilities, which will enable Yggdrasil to achieve profitable and sustainable growth under his leadership. He has also been included in the Gaming Intelligence Hot 50 of 2024.

Projected Impact in 2025: Yggdrasil is an iGaming content distributor with highly innovative slot games and solutions. Curwen will play a key role in determining the future of new game content, including its development, distribution, and strategy, which will directly impact players’ experiences and drive innovation in the crucial online casino segment in 2025.