Removal of existing requirement to make annual contributions to research, prevention and treatment

The Gambling Commission announced changes to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice and Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards.

This requirement will be removed close to the introduction of the government’s statutory levy — expected to come into force on 6 April 2025. 

Tim Miller, Commission Executive Director for research and policy, said:

“These changes illustrate our commitment to ensuring gambling is fair and open by improving consumer empowerment and choice.

“These changes will help consumers decide on deposit limits, enable them to keep track of their spending and ensure they are fully aware of what happens to their funds should an operator become insolvent.

“We will now continue our work to deliver our remaining White Paper commitments, including our programme of evaluation.”

Other measures to take effect on 31 October 2025 includes:

• All gambling businesses must prompt their customers to set a financial limit before they make their first deposit and make it easy to review and alter this limit at any point after.

These rules will take good practice already offered by some operators and expand that so customers can expect the same standards across the industry.  Gambling businesses will also be required to remind consumers every six months to review their account and transaction information – this will help consumers consider if they want to change existing, or set new, deposit limits.

• Operators whose customer funds are ‘not protected’ in the event of insolvency must actively remind consumers once every six months that their funds are not protected.

Whilst there is no legal duty on gambling operators to protect customers funds in the event of insolvency, many of them do so voluntarily. The changes will help consumers understand which operators protect their funds and which do not – information which will support them in making choices about who they gamble with.