Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that the Labour government, in collaboration with the Gambling Commission, will introduce financial risk assessments for online gamblers. The new rules include checks for those spending more than £1,000 in a single day and will be implemented before Starmer steps down.
New Thresholds for Vulnerability Checks
Under the new policy, gamblers who lose more than £125 in 30 days or £500 in a year will face basic vulnerability checks using public records, such as bankruptcy data. Those losing more than £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days will trigger enhanced assessments using credit-reference data. The move follows a 2025 pilot and comes after a thinktank confirmed that 43% of the public would support raising taxes on adult gaming centres.
Industry Criticism and Concerns
An industry source criticised the Gambling Commission, stating: “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.”
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned that the proposals are “disproportionate and potentially open to legal challenge.” Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the BGC, raised “grave concerns” about the reliability of credit data and the risk of customers being pushed towards the black market. “It’s a farce, and the whole thing risks yet another windfall for illegal gambling operators,” an industry source added.
Impact on High Streets and Seaside Towns
Bacta, the trade body for adult gaming centres (AGCs) and amusement arcades, described the thinktank report as “fantasy economics and grossly irresponsible.” The organisation argued that a proposed 40% tax rate “would devastate high streets and seaside towns, close responsible family-run businesses and risk pushing customers away from safe, regulated environments towards the illegal market.”
The BGC, which had not seen the report, stated that any increase in Machine Games Duty (MGD) would cost jobs, adding that betting shops “keep high streets alive and provide valued community spaces.”
