- Gamblers spending more than £1,000 in 24 hours could face financial risk assessments.
- Regulator says the checks are not affordability tests and will not affect credit scores.
- Betting industry warns the changes could push customers towards illegal gambling sites.
Online gambling customers in the UK who spend large sums in a short period could soon face financial risk assessments, under new rules announced by the Gambling Commission. The regulator says the changes are aimed at identifying customers who may be experiencing financial hardship, while the betting industry argues they could drive gamblers towards unregulated operators.
Under the new framework, customers spending more than £1,000 within a 24-hour period or £3,000 over a rolling 90-day period will be eligible for enhanced financial risk assessments. Lower thresholds will apply to gamblers aged under 25, with checks beginning at £750 in 24 hours once the system is fully introduced.
Checks without paperwork
The Gambling Commission said the assessments will use information held by credit reference agencies and will not require customers to submit bank statements, payslips or other financial documents. It also stressed the checks are not affordability assessments and will have no impact on an individual's credit score.
The rollout will begin this summer in phases, initially applying to customers aged over 25 who spend more than £5,000 within a rolling 24-hour period at the largest gambling operators. The regulator said fewer than 0.5 per cent of customers are expected to be affected during the first phase before thresholds are gradually lowered.
Alongside the enhanced checks, lower-level vulnerability assessments will also be introduced. These will use publicly available information, including bankruptcy records, for customers who lose more than £125 over 30 days or £500 over 12 months.
According to the Gambling Commission, people who gamble heavily online are significantly more likely to face financial problems. The regulator said high-spending customers are between two and four times more likely to have a debt management plan and between two and five times more likely to have defaulted on payments during the previous 12 months than the wider population.
Industry pushes back
The reforms stem from the Government's review of the Gambling Act and recommendations made in the 2023 gambling white paper.
Sarah Gardner, acting chief executive of the Gambling Commission, reportedly said the vast majority of customers would never undergo an assessment. She added the new system is intended to identify financially vulnerable customers while keeping the process frictionless for everyone else.
The regulator also pointed to recent enforcement cases where customers were able to deposit large sums without intervention, including one individual who reportedly deposited £25,000 in just 25 days before any action was taken.
However, the proposals have drawn strong criticism from the betting industry.
The Betting and Gaming Council said it was "deeply disappointed and frustrated" by the decision to proceed with the checks. Chief executive Grainne Hurst reportedly argued that concerns over the accuracy of credit reference data, the practical operation of the system and its impact on customers remain unresolved. She also warned the changes could encourage more gamblers to use illegal betting websites.
The British Horseracing Authority also criticised the plans, saying they could subject racing bettors to unnecessary levels of financial scrutiny.
The Gambling Commission said the new measures are designed to better identify customers at risk of financial harm while ensuring most gamblers can continue betting without additional checks.
