UK affordability checks face mass bettor resistance
Table of contents
- A YouGov poll commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council found that 65% of UK bettors would refuse to hand over bank statements or payslips to continue gambling.
- A Gambling Commission survey obtained via Freedom of Information found that 77% of over 12,000 frequent gamblers oppose financial risk checks.
- Over 400 figures from British horseracing have signed an open letter urging Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to pause the rollout.
The Betting and Gaming Council has published fresh polling showing nearly two-thirds of UK bettors would refuse to provide personal financial documents if required to continue gambling.
The findings raise fresh questions about whether the Gambling Commission’s forthcoming financial risk check framework can be implemented without triggering significant player churn from the regulated sector.
Bettor resistance
The survey was carried out by YouGov on behalf of the BGC and involved almost 2,100 respondents. Results echoed previous data obtained by the BGC from a Gambling Commission survey via a Freedom of Information request.
That earlier research, covering more than 12,000 respondents, found that 77% opposed financial risk checks and that only 14% of frequent bettors were willing to provide financial details to operators.
The BGC suggested these figures collectively signal that mandatory document checks may have a more profound effect on customers than regulators anticipate.
Several issues were also flagged during early trials, including inconsistent data, ambiguous outcomes for customers and increased friction in the customer journey.
Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said:
“Ministers promised punters frictionless checks, but the Gambling Commission risks pushing ahead with the exact opposite.”
“Forcing punters to hand over bank statements isn’t ‘frictionless’, it’s intrusive and will drive customers to the illegal market, where there are no safeguards at all.”
“The overwhelming majority of customers bet safely and within their means. We should be focusing on protecting the vulnerable, not placing unnecessary hurdles in front of millions of ordinary punters.”
Over 100,000 people signed a petition against the checks in 2024, triggering a Westminster Hall debate at which then-minister Stuart Andrew MP said the checks would only be introduced if they were “truly frictionless”.
Racing pushes back
The polling arrived alongside an open letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy from the British Horseracing Authority, signed by over 400 figures across the sport, including trainers, racecourse executives, breeders, owners and members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Racing and Bloodstock.
The signatories warned the checks would cause lasting damage to British horseracing by reducing betting activity and risk pushing gamblers toward the black market. The letter cited the sector’s contribution of more than £4 billion to the UK economy and its provision of over 85,000 jobs.
The BGC has pointed to the Cheltenham Festival as evidence of black market migration already under way, estimating that £60 million was wagered with unregulated operators during the meeting.
What comes next
The findings were published as the Gambling Commission prepares to sign off on its financial risk assessment framework next month, with full operator compliance expected by Q3 2026.
The checks are the most contentious element of the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper, which set out the government’s plan to overhaul gambling regulation for the first time in nearly two decades.
Pilot data published by the Gambling Commission indicates that approximately 95% of first-stage checks and 97% of second-stage checks resolve without interrupting the player experience.
The BGC disputes this framing, arguing early trials revealed inconsistent data and unnecessary friction.
The affordability checks debate sits within a broader regulatory squeeze on UK operators, which has already seen Remote Gaming Duty rise to 40% and online slots stake limits take effect.
The BGC, representing over 90% of the regulated UK betting industry, has consistently warned that the cumulative weight of new regulation risks accelerating consumer migration to illegal operators. With the Commission’s board decision imminent, pressure on ministers to engage publicly with the polling data is growing.
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