UK Gambling Commission postpones verdict on Financial Risk Assessments

(AsiaGameHub) –   The UK Gambling Commission has delayed its ruling on the full rollout of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs). This decision was announced after a board meeting on 21 May.

In a statement given to iGB, the commission noted that its board convened recently to deliberate the next actions concerning FRAs.

“[UKGC] was furnished with a substantial evidence base but has not yet finalized its evaluation of that evidence. Further communication will be provided at an appropriate time,” the statement added.

The infamous FRAs

The planned FRAs are included in the government’s 2023 Gambling Act white paper reforms. A pilot initiative launched in August 2024 aims to serve as a harm-prevention mechanism, identifying risky gambling behaviours without enforcing spending limits on players.

The Gambling Commission stressed that these assessments are not intended to limit spending, but to assist vulnerable players by recognising those who may be facing financial difficulties. They concluded that only 3% of active customers would trigger intervention procedures. Meanwhile, 97% would undergo a frictionless assessment, remaining unaffected.

In a keynote address at April’s Ethical Gambling Forum in London, GC Executive Director Tim Miller asserted that operators would not be required to request additional financial documents, such as bank statements, following an FRA.

According to a YouGov survey published by the BGC, 65% of UK bettors would decline to provide personal financial documents if it were mandatory to continue betting.

In reaction to the Gambling Commission’s delay in decision-making, Sophie Kemp, partner and head of public law at firm Kingsley Napley, stressed that reasonable evaluations must be conducted.

“The Gambling Commission had already recognised unresolved issues regarding the reliability of credit reference data, customer friction, and the risk of pushing customers toward unregulated black‑market operators. The board’s choice to postpone affordability checks suggests that the pilot evidence has not alleviated these concerns, which the industry fears,” Kemp stated.

She added: “The Gambling Commission cannot advance a decision of this magnitude without a proper assessment of its impact – and if it does, the case for judicial review is likely to be strong.”

Opposition continues

Resistance to the FRAs has grown in recent months, involving not only gambling operators but also politicians, racing industry participants and media commentators.

A group of cross-party MPs signed an open letter this week urging Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to abandon the initiative entirely. Focusing specifically on the horseracing sector, the letter highlighted concerns that affordability checks would disrupt the established synergy between racing and betting at a time when the sport already faces mounting economic pressures.

Ian Angus, the Gambling Commission’s director of policy, addressed these concerns at a Clarion Payments Providers event this week, emphasising that “Financial Risk Assessments are not affordability checks under another name – the checks we have been piloting will not even attempt to assess what each customer can afford to gamble.”

As of now, the UK Gambling Commission has not provided an updated timeline for finalising its decision on Financial Risk Assessments.