Following a year of higher costs and intensified enforcement, the UK Gambling Commission has increased its budget from £40m to £60m in pursuit of data innovation, compliance reform and White Paper delivery as it enters the next phase of its corporate strategy.
The Gambling Commission has increased its budget by 50 percent as it steps up delivery of major evidence, data and compliance projects, describing 2024/25 as a year of transition.
Two developments dominated the period: the transfer of the fourth National Lottery licence to Allwyn UK in February 2024, and the continued rollout of reforms stemming from the Gambling Act Review White Paper. Submitting its annual report and accounts, the regulator reported a sharp rise in enforcement activity, with nearly 9,700 compliance actions taken during the year, more than double the 4,200 recorded in 2023/24.
Twenty-four enforcement cases resulted in £4.2m in penalties, down from £7.2m the previous year. The Commission described the reduction as “potentially positive”, suggesting it may reflect improved standards and greater consistency among licensed operators.
“As compliance gets better, we can continue shaping more positive partnerships with the industry – to drive improvement, to lift standards, to be sure that the rules are upheld with much greater quality and transparency,” commented chief executive Andrew Rhodes. “Great work was done in 2024/25, and it is fair to say the Commission will be looking to take great strides in moving the work forward and in making gambling safer, fairer and crime-free.”
While operator fines were down, the regulators accounts revealed a significant increase in costs, with total operating expenditure rising by 50 percent from £40m to £60m. Legal fees reached £13.35m, largely due to litigation and settlements linked to the National Lottery licence competition, while staff costs climbed to £28m as the regulator expanded teams focused on IT, data infrastructure and digital platforms. Enforcement remained robust, with 516 cease-and-desist notices issued to unlicensed operators, 352 affiliate warnings and the removal of more than 95,000 illegal gambling URLs.
Looking ahead to 2025/26, the Commission has outlined a busy programme focused on completing the final phase of Gambling Act review White Paper reforms, including new standards for gaming machines, marketing and customer care. The year will also see the regulator support the DCMS in implementing the statutory levy, while rolling out a modernised case-management system for licensing and enforcement and continuing proceedings against Allwyn over delays to full National Lottery functionality.
Whether growth fits into the Commission’s agenda is uncertain; what the economy needs is growth – bigly – and it’s something the government has insisted the country’s regulatory bodies must play their part it in.
The Commission has been somewhat dismissive of government insistence to support growth in the industry – and its proposals for gambling reform certainly reflect that.
But given that it’s boosted its own budget by 50 percent, the Commission clearly has a handle on how important growth is.
It’s all about us
“Andrew Rhodes said… As compliance gets better, we can continue shaping more positive partnerships with the industry – to drive improvement, to lift standards, to be sure that the rules are upheld with much greater quality and transparency…
Originally published on Coinslot on January 19, 2026. Republished with permission.