UKGC Delays Finance Risk Assessment Rollout as Evaluation Continues

The Gambling Commission has confirmed that no final decision has been taken on whether Financial Risk Assessments will move forward, leaving the rollout of affordability measures on hold.

A meeting held on 21 May was expected to provide clarity, as the regulator reviewed next steps for introducing FRAs, the more extensive of the two affordability solutions outlined in the Gambling Act review White Paper. In the run‑up to that meeting, industry groups and policymakers treated the date as a turning point, lobbying heavily in anticipation of an announcement.

Instead, both operators and bettors were told they must wait longer. The Commission explained that its board has not yet finished weighing the “extensive evidence” submitted and therefore cannot confirm an implementation plan.

Commission yet to assess all the evidence

The Gambling Commission has confirmed that its board has not finished reviewing the material presented on Financial Risk Assessments. A spokesperson explained that “The Gambling Commission Board met to consider next steps on Financial Risk Assessments. It was presented with an extensive evidence base but has not yet fully completed its assessment of that evidence. We will communicate further in due course.”

The debate around FRAs has grown intense, with critics in the betting industry, horse racing, and political circles often referring to them simply as affordability checks.

FRAs were first outlined in the Gambling Act review White Paper of April 2023 and are designed to apply when customers lose large sums in a short period. They represent a tougher measure compared to Financial Vulnerability Checks, which have already been in place since February 2025.

Those checks began with a threshold of £500 in net deposits over 30 days but were later reduced to £150 in August 2025, showing how regulators have tightened oversight over time.

BGC welcomes decision as criticism continues

The Betting and Gaming Council has welcomed the Gambling Commission’s choice to keep reviewing evidence before moving ahead with Financial Risk Assessments.

In its statement, the BGC said: “We welcome the Gambling Commission’s confirmation that it is continuing to consider the extensive evidence submitted on Financial Risk Assessments. This is an important and constructive step in the process, and recognition that the evidence provided by industry, stakeholders and experts deserves careful consideration.”

Criticism of FRAs have been loud. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, broadcaster Matt Chapman, gambling reform advocate James Noyes, and several MPs have all voiced opposition. A letter was even sent to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy calling for the plans to be halted.

Earlier in the week, the BGC had warned it was “left with little choice” but to prepare a legal challenge if full implementation went ahead. The commission has stated that these measures are not simply affordability checks under another name.

Speaking at the Clarion Payments Providers event, Ian Angus, the Commission’s Director of Policy, repeated that the new framework is designed differently.

He explained that the thresholds set for assessments do not cap or restrict how much a customer can spend. “Finance Risk Assessments are not affordability checks by another name,” Angus said, adding, “Nor do the proposed thresholds for an assessment limit or cap customer spend.”

The regulator also insists that neither the current Vulnerability Checks nor the proposed FRAs will affect most bettors.

source: SBC News

UKGC Delays Finance Risk Assessment Rollout as Evaluation Continues

Commission yet to assess all the evidence

BGC welcomes decision as criticism continues

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