Three years after the UK government published its landmark gambling white paper, plans for a dedicated gambling ombudsman have still not moved forward.
The Independent Betting Adjudication Service, known as IBAS, used its 2025 annual report to publicly highlight the continued and frustrating delay surrounding the planned body.
IBAS argued there had been “no progress” in the three years since the white paper first outlined the government’s intention to establish the ombudsman.
The alternative dispute resolution service acknowledged it had hoped it might be able to take on the ombudsman role itself, adding a layer of institutional interest to the debate.
IBAS warned the delay has left consumers with limited options for redress in cases involving social responsibility themes, a significant gap in player protection.
IBAS managing director Richard Hayler told NEXT.io that a lack of political will has been one of the main obstacles preventing the proposal from moving forward decisively.
Procedural disagreement about exactly what would be needed to establish the body has also contributed to the ongoing deadlock, Hayler explained.
Hayler pointed to the statutory levy as an example of how political priorities shifted after the white paper: “When the white paper was published, there were other priorities that grabbed headlines.”
He noted the government had committed to having an ombudsman active within a year of the white paper, adding: “Why that hasn’t moved forward with the same urgency is less straightforward.”
A central dispute has emerged over whether establishing the ombudsman would require parliament to pass entirely new primary legislation before anything can progress.
Hayler confirmed the Gambling Commission has outlined its view that a statutory body, requiring new law, is the approach that should ultimately be taken.
Sources also told NEXT.io that the Ombudsman Association itself is pushing for primary legislation to formally set up the body, aligning with the Commission’s position.
Hayler described the question of whether there would be a tender process or an industry-developed partnership approach as “one of the mysteries” still surrounding the entire project.
He argued the groundwork should have been laid much earlier, saying: “The hard work should have been done during the Gambling Act review to really identify what problems an ombudsman was intended to solve.”
Hayler added that had those questions been properly addressed during the review process, “we’d be in a better place by now,” reflecting broader frustration across the sector at the pace of reform.
