Tory MP Philip Davies faces backlash over £3,000-a-month online gaming consultancy deal
Tory MP Philip Davies has taken on a paid consultancy role with Merkur Gaming, one of the UK’s largest online game operators. The arrangement was officially registered in April 2024, just a month after fellow Conservative MP Scott Benton resigned over a separate gambling lobbying scandal. Davies will earn £3,000 per month for providing strategic advice to the company.
Davies formally declared his earnings from Merkur Gaming on 18 April 2024. Under the agreement, he will advise the firm for two hours each month at a rate of £500 per hour. Merkur Gaming, the second-biggest online game venue operator in the UK, currently runs over 200 locations nationwide.
The company has been expanding rapidly, opening 38 new online game sites in 2023 alone. This followed 36 additional locations launched in 2022. However, one of Merkur’s subsidiaries faced criticism earlier this year over claims it exploited a vulnerable individual. Davies’ consultancy deal comes shortly after Benton stepped down in March 2024. Benton had allegedly offered undercover reporters access to government policy discussions—including the Gambling White Paper—in return for £4,000. While such consultancy roles are legal, MPs must declare payments in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
Davies’ new role adds to the ongoing debate about MPs’ financial ties to the online game industry. His earnings will be recorded in parliamentary transparency logs, as required by UK rules. Merkur Gaming continues to grow its presence, despite past controversies linked to its operations.
