The UK Gambling Commission (GC) has released a new update on its financial risk assessment pilot, offering insights into stage two and outlining the next steps in this initiative by the Gambling Commission.
Helen Rhodes, Director of Major Policy Projects, explained the Commission’s findings and how the pilot continues to evolve since its initial launch in May 2023. The update also highlights what the final phase will focus on within the Gambling Commission’s framework.
Financial Risk Assessments: A Smarter Alternative
Unlike traditional affordability checks, financial risk assessments aim to identify high-spending remote gambling customers who might be in financial trouble—without affecting their credit scores. The GC clarified that regulation doesn’t require affordability checks, making this approach more targeted and efficient. These assessments help operators intervene early to support at-risk individuals.
Progress Through Staged Testing
Currently, the pilot is undergoing a structured three-stage testing process. In the second stage alone, operators conducted 1.7 million financial risk assessments across three credit reference agencies. These assessments related to 860,000 player accounts, reflecting the Gambling Commission’s commitment to thorough testing.
The Commission actively monitors the pilot’s performance, focusing on how it helps operators identify vulnerable customers and engage with them responsibly under the Gambling Commission’s guidelines.
Improved Matching and Frictionless Experience
Results from stage one showed that 95% of assessments were completed frictionlessly. In stage two, that figure improved to 97%, surpassing the 80% success rate projected by the government’s 2023 White Paper. The remaining 3% of assessments didn’t match, most likely because of more recent data used in the process.
Based on these findings, Rhodes estimates that only 0.1% of customers—about 1 in 1,000—would undergo a frictionless financial risk assessment. Notably, most of these customers had already been flagged by operators. They were also more likely to have a debt management plan or a payment default than the average UK adult.
Continued Oversight and What’s Next
NatCen, the independent research agency, continues to evaluate the pilot. Rhodes emphasized the Commission’s plan to explore two main areas next: improving data consistency across credit reference agencies and helping operators assess the severity of financial issues among customers.
“These further findings from the pilot have helped us understand how well frictionless assessments can work,” said Rhodes. “We’re now focused on supporting operators with better tools to identify and assist customers in financial difficulty as part of the Gambling Commission’s broader strategy.”
