UK gambling regulator to require financial checks for high-spending online bettors

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UK gambling financial checks

Highlights

The UK Gambling Commission will require gambling companies to conduct financial risk assessments on high-spending online customers using limited credit reference data, affecting under 3 percent of accounts.
The Betting and Gaming Council and racing interests criticize the tighter checks, warning of unreliable outcomes, operational burdens, and negative revenue impacts.
The British Horseracing Authority projects up to £250 million in lost revenues for horseracing within five years if the new financial checks regime is implemented.

Proposed checks and rollout plan

As reported by Financial Times, citing the Gambling Commission, gambling companies will have to carry out financial risk assessments on high-spending online customers using limited credit reference data to detect signs of financial difficulty.

The regulator says the checks are introduced through a staged approach that starts with higher thresholds and applies first to the largest gambling operators. It does not set out a timeline for completing the rollout, but says the measures stem from proposals first outlined in a 2023 consultation linked to the then-Conservative government's Gambling Act Review.

The assessments are expected ultimately to affect less than 3 per cent of customer accounts. Operators would have to monitor indicators such as arrears or defaults and consider whether support is needed, including restricting an account to prevent further spending.

The Gambling Commission says some financially vulnerable customers are not currently being identified by betting companies, allowing businesses to continue targeting them with marketing and promotions. It adds that pilot results show 97 per cent of assessments would be frictionless.

Industry resistance and sector implications

The proposals are drawing strong opposition from bookmakers and racing interests, who argue that tighter checks could disrupt customers and damage sector revenues.

The Betting and Gaming Council says it is deeply disappointed and frustrated, arguing that concerns over reliability, consumer impact and the practical operation of the checks remain unresolved. The group warns the system could produce unreliable outcomes, trigger unnecessary account restrictions or lead to customers being asked for documents or open banking information.

The British Horseracing Authority says the new regime would have severe financial implications for racing, which depends heavily on betting-related funding. Citing a report by Regulus Partners, it estimates the policy could cost the horseracing industry around £250 million in lost revenues within five years.

The broader debate comes as online gambling remains a major part of the UK market. A 2025 Gambling Commission survey finds that nearly half of adults have taken part in some form of gambling in the previous four weeks, while policymakers continue to press for stronger protections and higher levies on a sector the government says is associated with high levels of harm.

In our earlier article, we examined the growing scrutiny over Nigel Farage’s finances and Reform UK’s funding, including questions around an undeclared £5 million gift linked to his election as MP for Clacton. We also outlined how the party sought to manage the fallout via a Clacton by-election, while investigations and wider concerns over donations and crypto-linked support continued to pose political risks.

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