Gambling Commission Proposes Tougher Checks on Problem Gambling

20 October 2026

On 26 July 2023, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Stuart Andrew MP announced a public consultation on financial risk checks for problem gambling and stake limits for online slot games. The Gambling Commission also launched a 12-week consultation on financial checks.

The Commission proposed a two-tier approach to identifying and protecting vulnerable gamblers.

Light-touch checks for lower-risk players. These would be triggered by net losses of £125 in 30 days or £500 in 365 days. The Commission estimates these would apply to around 20% of accounts.

Detailed assessments for high-risk gamblers. These aim to catch problem gamblers earlier, before bigger losses. They would kick in at £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days.

The checks would rely heavily on credit reference data, with open banking or extra documents used in only a small number of cases. The Commission reckons the detailed assessments would affect about 3% of gambling accounts.

The Commission said remote gambling operators already have the capability to identify potential harm but haven't used it enough to make a real impact. So it wants to make these checks mandatory.

The policy aims to catch problem gamblers before they lose significant sums, saving them financial and personal harm. It's a big shift towards more proactive protection of vulnerable punters.

The consultation is a major move in online gambling. If approved, it will force gambling apps and sites to improve their safeguards and could reduce the social costs of problem gambling.

To net the potential downside. The practicality of these checks, especially the deeper assessments, will depend on the quality of data from credit agencies. And operators will need solid systems to automatically trigger and action the checks.

Outside the stricter spending triggers considered, the Commission is also looking at stake limits for online slots, though fewer details are available so far.

Ultimately, the consultation is seeking more robust protections for online gamblers. If adopted, it will significantly impact the gambling sector and the public health picture. Awaiting feedback, any policy changes could reshape how operators interact with their customers.