Gambling Commission issues January compliance update

The Gambling Commission has issued its first fortnightly update of 2026, using the 12 January newsletter to underline key compliance expectations for operators while highlighting upcoming regulatory changes and new research into gambling-related harms among young people.

Gaming Machine Availability Under Scrutiny

The Commission’s lead item reiterates a clear message: all gaming machines must be freely accessible to customers without staff intervention.

The reminder follows concerns that some operators are storing tablets—used to meet category B machine entitlements—inside locked cabinets or behind counters. The regulator warns that this practice breaches Section 172 of the Gambling Act 2005, which requires machines to be available for use at all times without staff assistance.

Operators are urged to:

• Review how tablets and other machines are made available on premises
• Ensure customers can access and use devices independently
• Consider alternative security measures that do not restrict access

The Commission emphasises that proper availability is a statutory requirement and that non‑compliance may trigger regulatory action.

New Rules on Socially Responsible Incentives

With new requirements coming into force on 19 January 2026, the Commission is preparing operators for a significant shift in how promotional offers can be structured.

Senior Policy Manager Pradeep Rajania outlines the principles behind the reforms, confirming that promotions requiring consumers to play multiple gambling products will no longer be permitted in Great Britain.

The changes form part of the regulator’s wider push to reduce harm by ensuring incentives do not encourage riskier patterns of play. Operators are encouraged to review their marketing strategies now to ensure compliance ahead of the deadline.

New Podcast Episode Explores Gambling Among Teenage Boys and Young Men

A new instalment of the Commission’s Inside the Commission podcast accompanies the publication of qualitative research into the lived experiences of gambling among teenage boys and young men.

In the second part of a two‑episode discussion, George Webster of Humankind Research and Lauren Cole from the Commission’s Research and Statistics team explore themes emerging from the study, including early exposure, social influences, and the normalisation of gambling behaviours in youth culture.

The episode is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.