The Gambling Commission is expected to announce sweeping new financial risk assessments for online betting customers today, marking one of the most significant regulatory changes ever introduced to the gambling industry.
Under the proposals, customers who lose more than £1,000 within a 24‑hour period will face enhanced financial risk assessments using credit reference data to determine whether they are experiencing financial hardship.
The measures stem from a 2023 consultation linked to the Government’s Gambling Act Review and will see Labour press ahead with tighter gambling regulations despite opposition from bookmakers.
Ministers insist the assessments are designed to identify customers facing serious financial difficulties rather than impose spending limits or examine an individual’s income.
The new framework will operate on a tiered basis, with lower‑level checks taking place before enhanced assessments are triggered.
Customers who lose more than £125 over 30 days, or £500 over 12 months, will undergo basic vulnerability assessments using publicly available information such as bankruptcy records.
Those who lose more than £1,000 in a single day or £2,000 over 90 days will be subject to enhanced assessments using credit reference data.
Labour and the Gambling Commission have repeatedly stressed that the measures should not be described as affordability checks because they will not place limits on gambling activity or assess customers’ earnings.
Gambling Commission to introduce financial risk checks for online bettors losing more than £1,000 a day
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The Betting and Gaming Council has criticised the proposals, with chief executive Grainne Hurst warning they are “disproportionate and potentially open to legal challenge.”
It has expressed “grave concerns” about the reliability of credit reference data and warned that stricter regulation could encourage customers to migrate to unregulated gambling operators.
Industry figures argue the proposals could reduce tax revenues and affect funding for British horse racing, where losses running into four figures are not uncommon even among recreational bettors.
One industry source described the plans as “a farce,” saying they would create “yet another windfall for illegal gambling operators.”
The sector is already facing higher taxes and increasing regulatory requirements, while operators have raised concerns about growing competition from black‑market gambling websites.
The Gambling Commission is also continuing its search for a new chief executive after launching the recruitment process in February, while the chairman’s position has remained vacant for more than 18 months
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An industry source said: “The Gambling Commission is rushing into the biggest policy change this industry has ever seen, at the same time it’s struggling to recruit a new chairman, a new chief executive, and most of its officials seem to be leaving to advise the private sector.”
Following a pilot programme carried out in 2025, the Gambling Commission said the new system would be “frictionless” for the vast majority of customers.
The regulator said only around three per cent of gambling accounts would ever be affected by enhanced assessments, while approximately 97 per cent of checks would be completed automatically.
The proposals come as betting operators continue to monitor the growth of US‑style prediction markets, which some in the industry believe could pose a challenge to traditional betting products.
