The UK Gambling Commission says 97% of financial risk assessments in the second stage of its pilot could be completed without customer friction. The figure is a key part of the regulator’s defence of the proposed checks, which remain one of the most disputed parts of Britain’s gambling reform programme.
The checks are designed for high-spending online gambling accounts, not the wider customer base. Based on the consultation model, less than 3% of active customer accounts would trigger an assessment.
Pilot tested 1.7 million assessments
Stage two of the pilot covered about 1.7 million assessments linked to roughly 860,000 accounts. The Commission tested the process across three credit reference agencies.
The 97% frictionless rate improved on the 95% recorded in stage one. It was also higher than the 80% rate assumed in the 2023 Gambling Act review white paper.
A frictionless assessment means the customer would not have to provide documents or take action during the check. The assessments would not affect a customer’s credit score.
Only a small share would face document checks
Around 3% of stage-two assessments were unmatched, down from 5% in stage one. If applied to the proposed live thresholds, only one in every 1,000 accounts would both trigger a check and be unable to complete it frictionlessly.
The checks would look for signs of serious or worsening financial difficulty, such as arrears, defaults or bankruptcy. They would not assess income or decide how much a customer can afford to gamble. The Commission no longer describes the proposal as affordability checks. It calls them financial risk assessments.
Pilot was not a live customer intervention
Betting and racing groups remain concerned that the checks could push customers toward unlicensed sites. The Betting and Gaming Council has argued that any checks must stay genuinely frictionless and warned against asking ordinary bettors for private financial documents.
The assessments are not live yet, and no customer had action taken based on the pilot. The pilot tested whether checks could work in the background using customer data and credit reference agency information.
The Commission’s board will decide the next step. Any rollout would come after the pilot evidence, further analysis and final policy decisions on thresholds, operator duties and how unmatched cases should be handled.
