BetBlocker has bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of ex-Gordon Moody CEO Monica Shafaq as its Director of Strategy.
Confirming the announcement on LinkedIn, BetBlocker said that Shafaq will be tasked with developing relationships with key stakeholders as the gambling harms sector continues to navigate the changes brought about by the statutory levy.
The gambling website blocking app was awarded £1.12m as part of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities‘ first round of funding, and the platform’s founder, Duncan Garvie, hailed the impact of Shafaq on this process.
He said: “Over the last six months, Monica has been supporting BetBlocker, working with us to improve our funding applications, build out our strategic positioning, and grow our relationships with the right stakeholders in the UK.
“I’d hoped to make this announcement a lot earlier than today, but life rarely goes entirely to plan. However, even with the extra time, I still find myself a little disbelieving that someone of Monica’s standing and talent would consider taking a role on our team. ‘Can’t believe our luck’ would seem an appropriate description.”
Shafaq brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent over a year as Gordon Moody’s CEO before departing in October 2025.
She was also the Chief Executive of the health and wellbeing charity Kaleidoscope Plus Group for over 13 years between March 2010 and January 2024, and is involved at a non-executive level with a number of charities and initiatives.
These include the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester United Foundation and Sporting Equals.
“Monica’s background and experience both in leadership positions, and her focus on gambling harm, make her uniquely qualified for this role,” said BetBlocker on LinkedIn.
“Following the recent announcement that OHID will deliver funding support for BetBlocker for the next two years, developing relationships with key stakeholders across the UK is a priority for our project.”
The statutory levy raised over £120m in funding from UK licensed operators in its first year of operation, as the responsibility for commissioning gambling harm treatment in the UK shifted from GambleAware to the NHS.
Garvie said he felt the ‘weight of this grant’ at the time of receiving the funding, and hiring someone of Shafaq’s standing underscores BetBlocker’s commitment to maximising the impact of its work.
However, Garvie also lamented the impact of the decisions on organisations who missed out on funding.
“As proud as I feel about the award, the last few weeks have been very bittersweet for me,” he said.
“So many important organisations, delivering high-quality services, were unsuccessful in securing funding. These decisions have real-world consequences and present potentially existential challenges for those organisations.”
