UK bookmakers consider legal action over proposed gambling affordability checks

(AsiaGameHub) –   The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has indicated it may take legal action against proposed gambling affordability checks that operators argue could compel customers to disclose sensitive financial details.

The BGC contends that the existing pilot program suffers from significant shortcomings, including inaccurate data and inconsistent outcomes from credit reference agencies. Operators believe the new rules—which would require up to 480,000 customers to submit verification documents—could negatively affect the financial stability of the UK’s regulated gaming sector.

In a letter addressed to Charles Counsell, acting chair of the Gambling Commission, and Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, the organization described the implementation of these regulations as “disproportionate” and warned it “could lead to legal challenges.”

This correspondence with UK Secretary of State for Culture Lisa Nandy and Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross cautioned that the proposed system might drive players toward illegal, unregulated gambling operations, ultimately reducing tax revenues generated by the betting industry.

While the Gambling Commission estimates only about 3% of all customers will be affected by the new measures, the BGC projects impacts on up to 10% of regular bettors and as many as 20% of those who wager more than £200 annually.

Industry representatives view the regulations as “ineffective and counterproductive,” arguing that many customers may refuse to share verifiable economic information, prompting them to seek out illicit gambling channels.

The Gambling Commission has clarified that no final decision has been made regarding the rollout of these regulations and emphasized that any future measures will be “evidence-led” and introduced gradually and cautiously.