The Responsible Gambling Trust has appointed three independent trustees in an attempt to boost its credibility as it aims to raise £6m this year.

However the board is still dominated by industry insiders and it is still looking for two more independent trustees to create an equal split between independent trustees and industry representatives, as well as a chairman.

Neil Goulden, chairman of the board said: “A number of trustees have willingly stood down to enable us to meet our promise to create an appropriate balance of industry-related and independent trustees.”

Joining the board are: Liz Barclay, a consumer affairs journalist and chair of Camden Citizens Advice Bureau; Gerry Sutcliffe MP, a former gambling minister; and Jonathan Wolff, a professor of political philosophy and member of the Gambling Review Body.

Making way for the new trustees are; Ian Burke (chief executive of Rank Group plc), Andrew Love (deputy chairman of the Ritz Hotel and chairman of the Ritz Club), Ralph Topping (chief executive of William Hill) and Ken Turner (chief executive of Sceptre Leisure plc).

The full board is now:

• Chair: Neil Gouldman
• Trustee (industry): Richard Glynn (chief executive of Ladbrokes plc)
• Trustee (industry): Nick Harding (chief executive of Praesepe plc)
• Trustee (industry): Clive Hawkswood (chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association)
• Trustee (industry): Carl Leaver (group chief executive of Gala Coral Group)
• Trustee (industry): Jonathan Paveley (executive chairman of Admiral Taverns)
• Trustee (independent): Liz Barclay (broadcast journalist and producer)
• Trustee (independent): Gerry Sutcliffe MP (Bradford South constituency)
• Trustee (independent): Jonathan Wolff (professor of political philosophy at University College London)

The charity officially launched in April 2012, and was the result of a merger between the Great Foundation and the Responsible Gambling Fund.

At the time Marc Etches, chief executive of the new charity, said: “The purpose of the merger is to streamline the fundraising and distribution process.”

It hopes to raise at least £5m a year from donations from the gambling industry to fund research and commission treatment and education research. It stated that its fundraising target for 2012/13 is £6m.

The charities announced their intention to merge last December in a bid to simplify the funding arrangement between the Great Foundation, which was responsible for extracting donations from the industry, and the Responsible Gambling Fund was charged with distributing them.