Gamblers who spend more than £1,000 online in a single day will soon be required to undergo a financial risk assessment, the Gambling Commission has announced, in a major tightening of rules aimed at curbing problem gambling.
The checks, based on data held by credit reference agencies, will also apply to anyone spending over £3,000 in a rolling 90-day period, with lower thresholds for under-25s. The commission insisted the assessments are not "affordability checks" – a term its acting chief executive, Sarah Gardner, said was "deeply unpopular" with gamblers.
“Online gamblers spending over £1,000 a day must undergo financial risk checks, the Gambling Commission announces.”
The changes will be introduced in a "very careful, staged way", the regulator said, without setting a precise timeline. The first phase will target over-25s who gamble more than £5,000 in a 24-hour window and will apply only to the largest gambling companies. That stage, which the watchdog said would affect less than 0.5% of customers, is due to be rolled out this summer following engagement with the industry.
Eventually, the threshold will be lowered to £1,000 in 24 hours, or £750 for under-25s.
The announcement follows a 2023 white paper that recommended enhanced checks on customers experiencing very high losses. The commission said it had evidence that some high-spending customers were experiencing financial difficulties but were not being identified or supported by bookmakers. On Tuesday, it revealed that high-spending gamblers were between two and four times more likely to have a debt management plan, and between two and five times more likely to have a default in the previous 12 months than the wider population.
The Betting and Gaming Council, which represents gambling firms, said it was "disappointed and frustrated" with the changes, warning they could push customers towards the black market. Gardner acknowledged that stakeholders had raised concerns that more regulation could drive problem gamblers to unlicensed operators.
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain found that in 2024, 9.3% of adults who gambled online – excluding those who took part in lotteries – scored eight or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, where a score of eight or more means a person "may have lost control of their behaviour". The index goes up to 27.
Gardner said the vast majority of customers would never require an assessment. Those who do would have a "frictionless, document-free" process carried out by credit reference agencies, with no impact on their credit score. She said the commission believed the approach "will enable support for high-spending customers in financial difficulties, while reducing friction for customers who are not".
The regulator’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from the industry, which sees the checks as an unwelcome burden that risks driving bettors away from regulated operators – a concern that now hangs over the phased rollout this summer.