During his speech at iGB Live on Wednesday, Tim Miller, the Gambling Commission's executive director, highlighted concerns about the regulator’s financial risk assessment (FRA) pilot program. Miller pointed out that this initiative identified a group of players who were facing financial difficulties that operators' existing monitoring processes had failed to recognize. "We want to focus on those," he stated, expressing his belief that there is a disconnect between the regulator and the gaming industry regarding FRAs, especially in light of the significant resistance from the sector regarding proposed policy changes.
FRAs, initially described by some industry members as "rebranded affordability checks," were first outlined in the Gambling Act review white paper. The pilot program began in August 2024, with participation from several tier one operators. The pilot was designed to trigger additional checks when a player’s net monthly deposit reached £500 during the initial light touch assessment. That benchmark was lowered to £150 for the second phase set to start in February 2025.
In May 2025, the Gambling Commission reported that an overwhelming majority of checks, 97%, during the second half of the pilot had been classified as "frictionless."
Miller pointed out, however, that strong opposition to the policy led the Commission to postpone its decision on fully implementing the FRA checks in May. "I think a lot of people have forgotten the purpose of the policy in the white paper. It’s about being really focused upon higher-spending customers where there is evidence of financial distress," he noted. He emphasized that insights gained from reference agencies had created a clearer picture of financial distress without complicating the customer experience. "I think it will do the opposite as long as they are implemented properly," he said.
When questioned about the timeline for implementing the FRAs, Miller, who announced his departure from the Gambling Commission this week, acknowledged he could not provide specifics. He explained that the regulator had faced criticism for both rushing the policy and for delays. "We’ve taken our time deliberately. Regulatory peers around the world are very keen to see what we do on this," Miller remarked.
On the topic of the illegal gambling market, Miller criticized technology companies for not doing enough to combat the growing threat. He accused them of "failing British consumers" by not taking swift action against unregulated sites and their marketing efforts. He stressed the importance of stakeholders involved in fighting against the black market to be as connected as the illicit networks behind these operations. Affiliates and B2B suppliers were noted as significant contributors to the ongoing issue. Miller reiterated that operators must conduct thorough due diligence on their suppliers and affiliate partners to ensure there are no connections to the black market. He commended certain operators for their proactive stance against illegal gambling, specifically highlighting Entain’s Simon Zinger as "impressive."
