The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has written to the Gambling Commission demanding clarity on its decision to proceed with Financial Risk Assessments.
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee, addressed the letter directly to Sarah Gardner, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Gambling Commission.
The letter, dated 10 July 2026, outlines five areas requiring answers ahead of the staged implementation of Financial Risk Assessments across the UK gambling industry.
Baroness Twycross, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the DCMS, was copied into the letter sent by Dame Caroline Dinenage.
The Committee has asked whether the Commission will publish the full dataset, evidence base, and methodology that informed its decision to proceed with FRAs and determine the proposed thresholds.
Dinenage also raised concerns about the racing industry’s representation within implementation groups, asking the Commission to explain its rationale if that sector has been excluded.
Dame Caroline Dinenage stated: “It’s important that people at risk of gambling-related debt receive appropriate support. At the same time, any regulatory change must recognise the significant economic contribution made by the industry.”
She added that “the Gambling Commission needs to be clear about how the assessments will work and should work closely with bookmakers to ensure new obligations do not impose undue burdens on responsible businesses.”
The Commission expects responses to all posed questions by 24 July 2026, giving the regulator a tight two-week window to address the Committee’s concerns.
FRAs will first be implemented by the largest operators, applying to net deposits of £5,000 in a rolling 24-hour period, with the Commission predicting only 0.5% of customers will hit these thresholds.
Once fully implemented, the checks will apply to customers aged 25 and over with net deposits exceeding £1,000 in a rolling 24-hour period or £3,000 over a rolling 90-day period.
For customers under 25, the thresholds will be set lower at £750 over 24 hours or £2,000 over a rolling 90-day period.
Sarah Gardner has assured that the vast majority of accounts will not need to be checked and that a significant proportion of those that are will remain frictionless.
Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst accused the Gambling Commission of pressing ahead with FRAs without “addressing fundamental concerns” identified during the Commission’s own pilot study.
Grainne Hurst said: “We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Gambling Commission has decided to press ahead with Financial Risk Assessments despite the significant concerns raised over the last 18 months by the BGC, operators, racing, parliamentarians and customers.”
Hurst further argued that the decision to delay implementation, raise thresholds, and abandon the original timetable was “a clear recognition that the concerns raised by the BGC and others were well founded.”
She concluded that “the central issues around reliability, consumer impact and the practical operation of these checks remain unresolved,” signalling ongoing tension between the regulator and the wider industry.
