UK Gambling Commission Sets New Financial Risk Checks

UK gambling operators will introduce financial risk assessments for a small group of customers with unusually high online deposits. Lower thresholds will follow after an initial rollout.

Good to Know

• Stage one starts above £5,000 in net deposits over 24 hours for customers aged 25 or older.
• Final limits fall to £1,000 over 24 hours or £3,000 over 90 days.
• Customers under 25 face lower thresholds throughout the program.

UK Gambling Checks Will Start at Higher Limits

The Gambling Commission will begin with the largest operators and accounts that exceed £5,000 in net deposits over a rolling 24-hour period. Fewer than 0.5% of customers reach that level. Customers under 25 enter the first stage after deposits exceed £2,500.

Implementation groups will meet over the summer before the regulator confirms a start date. The Commission will use interim stages rather than immediately applying the final limits.

Once fully active, checks will cover customers aged 25 or older who deposit more than £1,000 within 24 hours or £3,000 within 90 days. Limits for younger customers will sit at £750 and £2,000. A pilot indicated that final thresholds could cover about 3% of online gambling accounts.

Credit reference agencies will provide the assessments. Operators can then combine that information with other account data to identify customers who may face debt, missed payments or other financial problems.

The Commission rejects the affordability check label. Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner said the system “will enable support for high-spending customers in financial difficulties, while reducing friction for customers who are not.”

Betting and Racing Groups Challenge the Plan

The Betting and Gaming Council argues that pilot testing failed to resolve concerns about inconsistent credit agency data and possible account restrictions.

“The central issues around reliability, consumer impact and the practical operation of these checks remain unresolved,” Betting and Gaming Council Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said.

British racing also fears that bettors will reduce legal wagering or turn to unlicensed operators.

“We are hugely disappointed that the Gambling Commission will implement affordability checks which will have severe financial implications for British racing and the U.K. economy and subject racing bettors to unwarranted levels of intrusion,” British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Brant Dunshea said.

The assessments come from recommendations in the 2023 gambling white paper, High Stakes Gambling Reform for the Digital Age. The policy aims to identify financial distress without routinely asking customers for payslips or bank statements.

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