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The UK Gambling Commission has tried to calm concern around financial risk checks, saying the planned process should not force bettors to hand over bank statements or other extra financial documents.
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Tim Miller, Executive Director at the UKGC, used the Ethical Gambling Forum in London to separate financial risk assessments from the older affordability checks debate. He said:
“The checks we have been piloting will not even attempt to make an assessment of what each customer can afford to gamble”.
Miller also said the Commission wants guidance that stops operators from asking for bank statements or similar documents after a risk check. He described those requests as having no “legitimate regulatory purpose”.
That point directly answers one of the loudest complaints from the sector. Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst previously said:
“Forcing punters to hand over bank statements isn’t ‘frictionless’, it’s intrusive and will drive customers to the illegal market, where there are no safeguards at all.”
A BGC YouGov survey found 65% of UK bettors would refuse to provide personal financial documents to keep betting.
The pilot began in August 2024 at £500 in net monthly deposits, then dropped to £150 in February 2025. Tier one operators took part, with credit reference agencies used to help flag financial risk.
Pilot data gave the UKGC its main defence. Less than 3% of active customers would trigger intervention steps. About 97% would pass through checks without disruption, above the 80% estimate in the 2023 white paper.
Only 0.1% of active accounts, roughly one in 1,000, could not complete the assessment without extra support. Miller said the checked group also showed higher financial vulnerability, with customers two to five times more likely than average to have defaulted on debt or entered a debt management plan in the past year.
The Commission board has not approved full rollout yet. Any final plan would need board approval and continued government support. If approved, UKGC would work with DCMS, operators, and credit reference agencies on practical guidance.
Miller also linked the debate to illegal gambling. Between 2025 and 2026, UKGC issued 741 cease-and-desist notices, reported nearly 398,000 illegal URLs to search engines, referred 1,068 websites for delisting, and disrupted 1,134 websites through takedowns or geo-blocking.
The Treasury has provided £26 million over three years for wider illegal market work. Miller said:
“One of the areas that my own subgroup is working on at the moment is the publication of a national risk assessment on the illegal market to help ensure that we are all focussed on the main risks that might arise,”
The Commission also expects a summer 2026 response on gaming machine compliance. Operators must remove non-compliant machines from 29 July 2026. Miller said:
“Now is a moment where we need to also look at what we can do to help keep the consumer experience positive and competitive, especially when viewed against the illegal market.”