Following a meeting held on 21 May, the Gambling Commission has chosen not to roll out financial risk assessments (FRAs) as it continues to consider extensive evidence surrounding the implementation process.
In response to the decision, the Betting and Gaming Council stated: "We welcome the Gambling Commission’s confirmation that it is continuing to consider the extensive evidence submitted on (FRAs). This is an important and constructive step in the process, and recognition that the evidence provided by industry, stakeholders and experts deserves careful consideration.
"However, there is still more work to do to ensure any future proposals are genuinely frictionless, proportionate, and do not drive customers towards the growing unsafe gambling black market. We look forward to continued engagement with the Commission in the weeks ahead."
The implementation of FRAs was first proposed in the Gambling Act review White Paper, while many stakeholders and policymakers viewed the 21 May as a deadline to confirm how the assessments would be introduced.
Financial Vulnerability Checks, the alternative affordability check unveiled as part of the Gambling Act review White Paper, were launched in February 2024 and recently dropped its net deposit threshold to £150 (US$201.72) in August 2025.
The Gambling Commission had previously published insights following the introduction of financial vulnerability checks on 15 May, featuring analysis from Senior Policy Officer Sarah Webster and Senior Policy Evaluation Manager Richard Sutcliffe.
The Gambling Commission found that 68% of operators had been voluntarily doing financial vulnerability checks for a number of years prior to this policy, and a further 26% introduced them in anticipation of the changes.
The annual Grand National Charity Bet, organised by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), raised more than £20,000 ($27,072.80) for good causes this year as announced on 16 April
