The Gambling Commission is set to implement financial risk assessments for high-spending online gamblers, starting with those who deposit £5,000 or more within a 24-hour period. The new measures, first proposed during the Government’s 2023 Gambling Act Review, aim to identify gamblers who may be experiencing financial difficulties by using a streamlined, document-free evaluation process.
Under the planned framework, financial risk assessments (FRAs) will initially target customers aged 25 and older with net deposits exceeding £1,000 in a 24-hour window or £3,000 over 90 days. For individuals under 25, the thresholds will be lower: £750 within 24 hours or £2,000 within 90 days. The Commission indicated that this approach is designed to better capture problem gambling patterns, given evidence that some gambling companies’ existing checks have failed to adequately identify high-spending customers facing financial stress.
Sarah Gardner, a spokesperson for the Gambling Commission, emphasized that the updated process relies on high-quality data to provide support for customers at financial risk while minimizing unnecessary burdens on others. “Our approach, using high-quality data, will enable support for high-spending customers in financial difficulties, while reducing friction for customers not in financial difficulties by removing unpopular document checks,” she said.
The announcement has been met with criticism from industry representatives. Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, expressed disappointment and frustration, arguing that the Commission has not satisfactorily addressed problems highlighted during its pilot program. Hurst also questioned the reliability and consistency of the data underpinning the new checks, suggesting that it may not be sufficient to inform regulatory decisions. “The Commission has failed to address the issues identified during its own pilot,” she stated. “It has not demonstrated the data underpinning these checks is reliable or consistent enough to support regulatory decisions.”
The Commission’s introduction of financial risk assessments marks an effort to enhance protections for vulnerable gamblers amidst ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of operators’ self-regulation and the wider impact of gambling-related harm. The measures are expected to be rolled out progressively as part of broader regulatory reforms aimed at improving consumer safeguards within the UK’s online gambling sector.