TLDR The UK Gambling Commission confirmed no final decision has been made on Financial Risk Assessments, delaying the expected rollout of affordability measures The Commission’s board met on May 21 but said it has not finished reviewing the “extensive evidence” submitted by industry groups and stakeholders The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed the delay and had previously warned it would pursue legal action if full implementation went ahead FRAs were first proposed in the April 2023 Gambling Act review White Paper and would apply when customers lose large sums in short periods Critics including Nigel Farage, several MPs, and industry figures have pushed back against the measures, with a letter sent to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy calling for the plans to be scrapped
The UK Gambling Commission has delayed its decision on whether to move forward with Financial Risk Assessments, leaving the gambling industry and bettors in limbo. The regulator’s board met on May 21 but said it needs more time to review the evidence before making a call.
The meeting had been widely expected to bring clarity on the future of FRAs. Industry groups and policymakers had treated the date as a deadline and had been lobbying hard in the days leading up to it.
What Are Financial Risk Assessments?
FRAs were first introduced as a concept in the Gambling Act review White Paper published in April 2023. They are designed to kick in when customers lose large amounts of money over a short period.
They represent a stricter measure compared to Financial Vulnerability Checks, which have already been in effect since February 2025. Those checks initially applied at a threshold of £500 in net deposits over 30 days.
That threshold was later lowered to £150 in August 2025. The tightening showed the direction regulators were