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Fresh experimental research led by Professor Patrick Sturgis has shed light on why gambling surveys see varying levels of participation and generate differing estimates of problem gambling.
The news arrives just weeks after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) pledged to strengthen confidence in the outputs of its new Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) – a study that looks to determine the extent of gambling harm in the UK.
The study’s main output is determining how many Britons can be considered suffering from problem gambling, based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), which their responses to survey questions are assessed against.
The GSGB, launched this summer, has already drawn comparisons with the Health Survey for England (HSE) and Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), which have both been used to inform policy decisions around gambling harm in the past.
The new research shows that design choices in surveys – from how invitations are worded to whether questions are asked by an interviewer – play a major role in shaping the results.
Why survey mode matters
The study found that explicitly mentioning gambling in an invitation did not affect how many people responded overall, but did attract more people with a personal interest in gambling, resulting in a four-point increase in reported participation.
Meanwhile, when it came to PGSI scores, this effect was smaller at 1.8 points and not statistically significant.
A bigger difference appeared when interview style was tested. Participants completing surveys online were almost 50% more likely to score one or above on the PGSI compared to those answering questions over the phone, underlining how people tend to under-report sensitive behaviour when speaking to an interviewer.
Updating the list of gambling products to reflect new market entries, however, had little to no impact on results.
Ben Haden, Director of Research and Policy at the UKGC, said: “The research builds our confidence in the outputs of GSGB, helps to understand the differences between surveys published on gambling and will improve our guidance for users.”
He stressed that no single study can ever definitively measure participation or harm, but that the regulator will continue to refine the GSGB, expand its use of datasets, and work with other survey providers to build a rounded evidence base.
Next steps for Commission guidance
Professor Sturgis emphasised the experimental design means “strong causal conclusions” can be drawn about the reasons for wide variability across gambling surveys, while noting that no single piece of research can provide the “true” value of participation or harm rates.
The Commission has been advised to update its guidance on interpreting GSGB results to better explain the differences with health surveys such as the HSE and APMS.
The regulator has confirmed that this update will be part of its ongoing improvement programme as it looks ahead to the second annual GSGB report, due for release on 2 October 2025.
With gambling harms still central to the White Paper reforms and under scrutiny in Westminster, the Commission has said it is keen to ensure the GSGB provides the most reliable picture yet of British gambling behaviours.
This data could prove critical as the debate around gambling regulation and the industry’s societal impact remains as heated as ever. Although the government seems committed to seeing out the recommendations of the Gambling Act review, it is facing calls for another regulatory overhaul from a large group of backbench MPs and local governments.
GamCare is preparing to leave its long-standing Holborn base for a new London headquarters later this month, signalling both a physical and strategic shift for the UK’s leading gambling harm support charity.
On 26 August, the charity will open at Salisbury House, Finsbury Circus. The current Saffron Hill site will operate until 22 August, with GamCare confirming no change to contact details and no disruption to services.
A spokesperson said that the relocation will provide “a vibrant, collaborative hub” to support its evolving way of working.
“We’re excited about this new chapter. The new office will give us the space and flexibility to continue innovating and supporting those who need us.”
Strategic shifts
The move coincides with a reconfiguration of GamCare’s programme portfolio.
For example, in July, the charity announced the wind-down of its Young People’s Programme by October 2025, an initiative that has delivered gambling harm education to under 18s.
GamCare did however confirm a new focus towards its Youth Advisory Board “to ensure young people’s voices continue to inform our work”.
Meanwhile, the charity has also launched an external review of its Women’s Pathway Programme, which began in 2024 to improve access to help for women going through negative effects of gambling.
“Fundamental to our approach is understanding the role that building women’s self-confidence/self-esteem, de-stigmatising gambling harm and improving health literacy plays in enabling women to access the services and support that they need,” the firm asserted.
Funding future
The relocation comes as GamCare awaits details on how the new statutory problem gambling levy will be distributed. Introduced on 6 April 2025, the levy replaces the voluntary funding system overseen by GambleAware, which will close by March 2026.
In response to GambleAware’s exit, GamCare stated: “GamCare thanks GambleAware for their leadership and contribution to the sector over many years.
“Under the voluntary funding system, their work has enabled the development and delivery of critical services – including GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline and the National Gambling Support Network.”
The charity said it will soon meet with NHS England, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and regional governments to make sure funding changes happen smoothly and services keep running.
Labour MP Dawn Butler has called on the government to push for councils to put a stop to the “rapid spread” of betting shops, but the governing party’s members’ views on gambling do not always line up.
Butler’s Brent East constituency, she noted, already has more than 100 gambling premises, which she said has pushed her to campaign to call for more preventative measures against companies targeting the high streets.
A familiar topic has arisen, the question of whether bookmakers target more vulnerable communities, as Butler notes: “Why are there barely any betting shops in Canary Wharf but rows of them in places like Bethnal Green?”
“It’s not by accident”
Butler argued that Aim to Permit makes it easy for betting companies to target less wealthy areas, stating that “It’s time to end it.”
The Aim to Permit clause currently limits the power of local councils to refuse applications for new gambling establishments. Some politicians, both at the local and national level, have been calling for local governments to gain greater powers to prevent betting businesses from setting up in their areas.
UK Parliament: Dawn Butler
An element to consider here is rent and expenses, with retail betting firms often setting up shop in areas with the lowest rental costs. This does mean, however, that more disadvantaged areas often see the most betting shops, something reform campaigners and other public figures believe is predatory.
In Butler’s case, the MP highlighted the widespread social harm caused by gambling, describing it as a public health crisis, and urged for changes to these planning laws that enable gambling operators to target ‘vulnerable’ and ‘disadvantaged communities’.
A clash of opinion
In contrast, fellow Labour MP Richard Baker has recently underlined the importance of the UK’s regulated betting industry, describing it as a key contributor to local economies, public services and grassroots sport.
Speaking about his constituency of Glenrothes and Mid Fife in an op-ed for Politics Home, Baker highlighted the role betting shops play in sustaining high street footfall and creating jobs.
He said that modern betting shops support towns that have seen years of economic pressure, asserting: “Every job matters.”
Baker also emphasised the sector’s broader economic impact, pointing to its £6.8bn annual contribution to the UK economy, £4bn in tax revenues, and 109,000 jobs across the country.
He noted the deep ties between betting and sport, with regulated operators investing at every level. Both of these arguments are long-running, having been made by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) on countless occasions over recent years amid an extensive debate on UK betting regulation.
Meanwhile, whilst acknowledging the harm caused by unregulated gambling, Baker warned against over-regulation that could drive consumers toward the black market.
He also added: “As a Labour MP, I want a tax regime that is fair, progressive and economically sound – one that protects the public, supports jobs, and rewards responsibility. More than ever, we need businesses that are investing and contributing.”
Is it really a problem?
As Butler said, Brent East already has more than 100 gambling premises, but could this be an anomaly?
The UK’s retail betting sector has undergone significant changes over the past decade, driven by regulatory updates, shifting consumer habits, the growth of online gambling and COVID-19.
From a peak of around 9,100 shops in 2013, the number of UK betting shops had fallen to approximately 5,995 by March 2023 – a 34% decline.
Much of this downturn followed the government’s decision in 2019 to reduce maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2.
Major operators responded swiftly such as William Hill which closed around 700 shops, Ladbrokes/Coral planned up to 900 closures, and Betfred projected 500 shop closures – collectively threatening over 10,000 jobs across the industry.
In 2020, the pandemic meant the sector saw additional closures, with William Hill confirming a further 119 shops would not reopen due to permanent declines in footfall. That year also saw Betfred close approximately 59 shops.
Despite the contraction, the sector remains a key employer in many local areas. However, its share of total sports betting revenue continues to shrink, with the online channel now dominating the market.
Tax reform looms
As political debate around gambling intensifies, the industry now faces fresh uncertainty over potential tax changes.
The Labour Treasury’s consultation on betting taxation closed on 21 July, and while no official recommendations have been published, reports suggest that significant reforms are pending.
Among the proposals, figures like Labour MP Alex Ballinger are pushing for the introduction of a single unified gambling tax, combining Remote Gaming Duty, General Betting Duty and Pool Betting Duty into one rate.
Supporters argue this would simplify the system and provide clarity for operators, while critics warn it could increase costs, threaten jobs and impact vital funding for sport and safer gambling initiatives.
With Chancellor Rachel Reeves under pressure to boost public finances, the industry is bracing for a move that could shape the future of the betting sector for years to come.
Fresh inquiries
Meanwhile, last month the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling Reform has launched a new inquiry, led by Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, to examine the future of gambling regulation in the country.
The inquiry aims to address gaps in the Government’s Gambling Act White Paper, focusing on stronger online protections, stricter advertising rules, and increased local authority powers.
Smith, a critic of current betting enforcement and ads, has emphasised the need for a regulatory framework fit for the digital age – something the Gambling Act review White Paper aimed to achieve, but many reform advocates feel did not.
In this episode of iGaming Daily, brought to you by Optimove, hosts Ted Menmuir and Ted Orme-Claye, dissect the decision by GambleAware’s board of trustees to wind down operations, signaling a complete closure by March 2026. As a long-standing pillar in the UK’s gambling harm prevention ecosystem, GambleAware’s exit marks a transformative shift in how…
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has told iGaming Expert that the UK Government’s move to a statutory levy “must not mean handing control to a narrow group of anti-gambling campaigners or creating a publicly funded cottage industry driven by ideology rather than evidence”.
Representing the regulated UK betting and gaming industry, the standards body’s statement comes in response to GambleAware announcing last week that it would undergo a “managed closure” by the end of March next year as a result of the new levy system.
The BGC highlighted the work achieved by GambleAware in providing gambling harm support, before reminding the UK Government that it is important to make sure funding is still made available to services who can offer help to those that need it the most.
A BGC spokesperson said: “GambleAware has played a central role in funding and commissioning independent research, education and treatment for more than two decades, underpinned by the voluntary contributions of the betting and gaming industry.
“This long-standing commitment, unmatched by other sectors, has helped establish and fund services that support thousands of people every year.
“While we campaigned for and support the Government’s decision to move to mandatory contributions, this must not mean handing control to a narrow group of anti-gambling campaigners or creating a publicly funded cottage industry driven by ideology rather than evidence.
“What matters is that funding remains independent, ringfenced and focused on delivering real outcomes for those at risk of harm.”
Industry concerns
Many in the gambling industry have raised concerns about the funding of services once the switch to the statutory levy takes place.
Deal Me Out has written to the Government asking for services to be treated fairly, while GAMSTOP Group highlighted the vital work GambleAware has done and stated that it believes this will continue under the statutory levy, adding that player welfare must be the focal point of all work.
GambleAware’s CEO Zoë Osmond has called on the levy’s Research, Prevention and Treatment Commissioners – the UK Research and Innovation, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, as well as NHS England and relevant bodies in Scotland and Wales – to build on the charity’s work.
Dan Waugh, Partner at Regulus Partners, believes the funding system is not living up to its billing and is creating more uncertainty for gambling harm treatment providers. BetBlocker Founder and Trustee, Duncan Garvie, added that service providers must be protected during the statutory levy transition period
Some of these statements were also echoed by the BGC, calling for any decisions that will be made to be based on facts.
The standards body said: “Industry contributions have totalled over £170m since 2020 alone, supporting NHS clinics, third-sector providers, and national education programmes. BGC members remain unequivocally committed to safer gambling, and to a robust, independent, and evidence-led system.
“The transition to a statutory levy must protect existing expertise, maintain service continuity, and ensure that decisions are based on data, not dogma.”
UK Gov wants ‘smooth and stable transition’
In response to GambleAware’s closure, the UK Government’s Minister for Gambling, Baroness Twycross, praised the charity’s work and the wider third sector, adding that the levy will build on their work and that a smooth transition to the new system is a priority.
“GambleAware and others across the third sector, including the National Gambling Support Network, have worked with tireless commitment over the years to commission and deliver effective services for people experiencing gambling-related harm,” noted Twycross.
“As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority, and we are taking significant steps to maintain service provision. The new levy system will build on the successes of the current system to improve and expand efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling.
“I want to thank GambleAware and all their staff for their efforts to support those in need across our country.”
The Statutory Levy has been described as causing an ‘exodus of talent’ from the UK’s gambling harm treatment and prevention sector, following news of GambleAware’s closure.
GambleAware stated that as a result of the statutory levy it will undergo a “managed closure” by the end of March 2026. The charity had been acting as the commissioner of gambling harm treatment programmes since its foundation in 2002.
Jordan Lea, Founder of DealMeOut, reacted to the news on LinkedIn, describing GambleAware as the most recognisable, and respected brands to the population, and holds vast, specialised expertise in research, evaluation and commissioning.
He added: “It is an aberration that the implementation of the Statutory levy is causing so many job losses, creating an exodus of talent from our sector.”
What is the statutory levy?
Following changes made by the government, operators in the UK are now required to contribute to a statutory levy to support research, education and treatment (RET), with contributions determined by companies’ gross gambling yield.
As a result, the NHS will now take over from third sector organisations, such as GambleAware, as the main administrator of the treatment and prevention of gambling harms.
Up to £100m per year is expected to be raised by the new levy. 20% of which will go to the Research Commissioner, UK Research and Innovation, to research to establish a bespoke Research Programme on Gambling, as well as the UK Gambling Commission, to direct further research in line with licensing objectives.
The Prevention Commissioner, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), will receive 30% of the levy funding. OHID will develop a comprehensive approach to prevention and early intervention.
Meanwhile, 50% of the levy funding will go to the Treatment Commissioner, NHS England and relevant bodies in Scotland and Wales, who will commission treatment and support services in collaboration with the third sector.
Andy Boucher, Chair of trustees, GambleAware, commented: “The introduction of the new statutory levy and the appointment of the three new commissioners for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment means that, as expected, the work historically delivered by GambleAware will now transition to the UK government and new commissioners across England, Scotland and Wales.
“We have advocated for the introduction of a statutory system for many years and are proud of our contribution to its implementation. Alongside this, we are also proud of the impact GambleAware’s prevention and treatment activity has had in supporting tens of thousands of people over the years, through our national campaigns and our commissioned partners, including the National Gambling Support Network.
“Our main priority continues to be keeping people safe from gambling harm and to ensure stability and continuity for our beneficiaries as the new commissioners take over. The GambleAware website and critical prevention resources continue to provide accessible support for all.”
Building on current progress
Whilst Boucher welcomed the new era, he urged NHS England, OHID, UK Research and Innovation, and the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales to ‘build upon the current system’s achievements and insights to ensure learnings are carried forward’.
Reacting to the news, the Minister for Gambling Baroness Twycross, who is being charged with leading this new approach to addressing gambling harms, praised the work of GambleAware, and the wider third sector, and promised that the new levy will build on the work of such organisations.
She said: “As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority, and we are taking significant steps to maintain service provision. The new levy system will build on the successes of the current system to improve and expand efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling.
“I want to thank GambleAware and all their staff for their efforts to support those in need across our country.”
A crucial junction
GambleAware highlighted the importance of its work in May, revealing that it had witnessed a 50% increase in self-referrals to regional support providers since April 2023.
The figures from the charity revealed that over 110,000 people had accessed some level of support from its National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) since its foundation in April 2023. Brief interventions, typically a short conversation on how to reduce the risk of gambling harm saw a 93% increase.
As a result, this underlines the importance of a smooth transition to the stewardship of gambling harm treatment by the NHS to ensure that those in need get the necessary help.
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GambleAware has announced that it has begun the process to manage its planned closure by 31 March 2026, due to the UK health ecosystem transitioning to a new statutory framework to combat gambling-related harms.
The decision was formally confirmed by Andy Boucher, Chair of Trustees, who stated that the charity had fulfilled its duties in preparing the UK’s gambling support network to transition to a new public health-led system, managed by NHS commissioners across England, Scotland and Wales.
“The introduction of the new statutory levy and the appointment of the three new commissioners for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment means that, as expected, the work historically delivered by GambleAware will now transition to the UK government,” Boucher said.
“We have advocated for this statutory system for many years and are proud of our contribution to its implementation.”
Since 2017, GambleAware has played a central role in building a harm-reduction system through its commissioning of prevention, treatment and support services, including the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN).
At the close of 2023, DCMS chose the NHS as the lead commissioner for gambling harm services, overseeing the statutory levy under a new framework developed in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) as commission of treatment support.
The decision was made to ensure that the statutory levy and the wider gambling harms support network would operate independently of influence from the gambling sector — a long-standing criticism directed at GambleAware throughout its existence, and one which the charity consistently refuted.
According to Boucher, GambleAware’s programmes have supported tens of thousands of people annually, while national prevention campaigns have provided tools and advice to millions.
While preparing to close, GambleAware will continue to honour its commissioning agreements through to April 2026 to ensure continuity of services and stability for beneficiaries.
“Our main priority continues to be keeping people safe from gambling harm. The GambleAware website and critical prevention resources will remain available to ensure support remains accessible throughout the transition,” Boucher noted.
“Since 2017, GambleAware has championed the development of a statutory, public health-led system to address gambling harm. We welcome this new era in which gambling harms are recognised alongside other public health issues and are funded through a statutory levy.
GambleAware’s closure was acknowledged by Baroness Twycross, Minister for Gambling, who paid tribute to its legacy of expanding dedicated gambling harm support services within UK communities
“GambleAware and others across the third sector, including the National Gambling Support Network, have worked with tireless commitment over the years. As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority.”
Twycross reiterated that the government would ensure continuity and seek to expand efforts to treat and reduce gambling harms under the new statutory system, which will be funded through a mandatory levy on gambling operators.
“As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority, and we are taking significant steps to maintain service provision.
“The new levy system will build on the successes of the current system to improve and expand efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling.
“I want to thank GambleAware and all their staff for their efforts to support those in need across our country.”
The news marks a significant turning point in UK gambling policy, with the statutory levy replacing the previous voluntary funding model and establishing a more centralised public health approach to tackling gambling harms.
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a response to the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) following its review of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), outlining a timetable for addressing any outstanding recommendations.
Within its response, the UKGC said that most of the recommendations will be addressed in October this year, which is when the second annual GSGB report is scheduled to be published.
GSGB reflections and OSR recommendations
Reflecting on the past year since the first official GSGB statistics were published, the Commission noted that the GSGB hub on its website had 5,271 user visits and includes a variety of outputs from the statistics, including a series of supplementary tables and two deep-dive reports.
Nearly 50 users downloaded the first GSGB raw data, published in the UK Data Service in February 2025, with the data being included in several externally published studies.
Back in May, OSR published its review of the GSGB from Professor Patrick Sturgis of the London School of Economics, outlining seven recommendations for the UKGC to act on. These recommendations were:
Research to better understand the relationship between the survey topic and the propensity of gamblers to respond to survey invitations
Undertake additional research to understand the role of socially desirable responding as the driver of the difference in gambling estimates between in-person and self-completion surveys.
Undertake a randomised experiment to evaluate the effect of the updated list of gambling activities on estimates of gambling prevalence and harm.
Take steps to assess the extent of potential bias in the subset of questions administered to online respondents only.
Continue to monitor best practice in the area of household selection of adults in push-to-web surveys.
Research the prevalence of gambling and gambling harm in groups that are excluded from the GSGB because they are not included in the sampling frame.
Seek opportunities to benchmark the estimates from the GSGB against a contemporaneous face-to-face interview survey in the future.
UKGC’s progress so far
Publishing its response to the OSR recommendations, the UKGC stated it has completed the following:
Updated the GSGB hub’s survey improvements page with information about experimental research commissioning – April 2025.
Hosted a webinar to launch experimental research implementing recommendations 1-3 from Professor Sturgis’ report – April 2025.
Provide a GSGB feedback channel for users – June 2025.
Created and published a user engagement strategy outlining how it will interact and understand the needs of users – July 2025.
Develop and implement a GSGB communications strategy – July 2025.
In terms of recommendations that are ongoing, the Commission stated that it will continue:
Updating the improvements page with the latest developments.
Incorporate user feedback to ensure the survey remains relevant.
Offer user feedback on contributions that can or can’t be addressed via GSGB.
Review and broaden the stakeholder engagement network where possible.
Build on partnerships with other official statistics producers.
Inform users on GSGB page updates in a timely and transparent manner.
Commission’s schedule ahead
As for what still needs to be completed, the UKGC has scheduled to:
Publish research governance framework – July 2025.
Receive feedback from the GSGB statistics user group on other information they would find useful regarding usage of statistics – July 2025.
Feedback from users on GSGB content they want to see published and how they would like to access data – July 2025.
Publish a report from experimental research – August 2025.
Show how GSGB links to evidence roadmaps – September 2025.
Provide additional quality assurance information in the GSGB technical report to combine UKGC and National Centre for Social Research processes – October 2025.
Publish information on how GSGB data is validated against other data sources within the technical report – October 2025.
Add links to guidance on using GSGB data from GSGB statistical landing pages and technical report – October 2025.
Tailor outputs to different users and potentially provide notes to editors when appropriate – October 2025.
Bring two GSGB technical support sections together – why the survey may underreport (people with lived experience may not respond) and why it may overreport (gambling focused) – into the same section – October 2025.
Potentially update guidance after experimental research based on Professor Sturgis’s recommendations and share with the statistics user group – October 2025.
Update materials relating to GSGB consistency and comparability with other related statistics after experimental research to implement Recommendations 1-3 from Professor Sturgis’s report is completed – October 2025.
Expand Power Bi dashboard, offering more granular data, cross-tab potential and smaller geographical area data – October 2025.
Bring hyperlinks from Excel contents page to tables and data tables – October 2025.
Investigate adding Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for publications to track how GSGB is being used and/or published – October 2025.
Publish communication on how GSGB data fits within the broader gambling data landscape and how data is integrated with other sources – December 2025.
Benchmark GSGB data against Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) – December 2025.
Benchmark GSGB data against the 2024 Health Survey for England – March 2026.
Additional questions have also been incorporated into the GSGB, including questions on consumer trust in gambling, unlicensed gambling and if respondents have registered with GamStop, while the question set about bingo has been expanded to understand the locations where bingo is being played in person.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will review how commercial restrictions are used by licensed operators on UK betting accounts.
Announced by CEO Andrew Rhodes, the Commission emphasised that the regulator does not intend to intervene in how licensees manage their commercial liabilities.
Source: UKGC
However, he said that the UKGC requires improved insight into how commercial restrictions are applied, to ensure the gambling market remains fair and transparent to consumers.
“The practice of bookmakers placing commercial restrictions on customers has long been a source of contention between impacted consumers and gambling operators,” Rhodes explained.
The Gambling Act Review’s White Paper presented no changes on the matter of commercial restrictions, as the UKGC maintains that “operators are entitled to act in their commercial interests and manage liabilities.”
However, in its effort to better understand current market dynamics, in early 2025 the UKGC issued a data request to major online betting firms, covering almost 15 million customer accounts.
As anticipated, the data showed that the application of stake or wagering limits were the most common application by operators, imposed on 2.68% of active accounts and 62.17% of restricted accounts.
The Commission noted that 643,779 customer accounts had been restricted in some form, representing 4.31% of the total active accounts surveyed. This figure includes a range of restrictions, with some accounts subject to multiple types of limitations.
Further measures included account closures, which affected 2.23% of active accounts and accounted for over half of all restricted accounts. In some cases, operators imposed a 0.00 stake factor — effectively blocking any bets from being placed, impacting 0.83% of accounts. More targeted restrictions, such as limiting bets on specific markets like horse racing, were rare and applied to just 0.25% of customers.
On the severity of stake factor restrictions, the data highlighted notable variation. A small proportion of stake-factored customers — just over 6% — were limited to between 90% and 100% of the standard maximum stake. Another 7.5% fell into the 50–89% range, while the largest shares were in the mid to severe brackets: 29.43% were limited to between 10% and 49%, and 36.22% faced reductions to between 1% and 9%.
Strikingly, 22.41% of restricted accounts were limited to stakes of less than 1%, rendering those accounts practically inoperable. These disparities show that while the term ‘stake factoring’ applies broadly, its impact on customers can range from marginal to exclusionary.
Further consultations with operators are needed, as the UKGC seeks to assess market fairness, restore consumer trust, and prevent practices that may push consumers towards black market operators.
Rhodes noted: “We do need to understand the role that commercial restrictions may be playing in pushing customers to illegal gambling operators and driving customer behaviours such as ‘multi-accounting’, which undermine wider controls designed to prevent crime, protect consumers, and identify integrity threats.”
On the matter of commercial restrictions, the UKGC stated that further engagement is needed between regulatory policy teams and industry stakeholders. It will continue to assess how these practices impact its statutory objectives of ensuring fair gambling, crime prevention, and consumer protection.
As yet, the UKGC has not presented the technical remit for a consumer ombudsman for UK gambling, as proposed by the White Paper’s reform of the Gambling Act. The ombudsman is expected to provide binding determinations on disputes between operators and customers.
By contrast, in jurisdictions such as France and Spain, sports betting licensees are not permitted to impose stake restrictions on individual customers, a mandate overseen by Consumer Affairs agencies.