Gambling Compliance in 2026: Are You Keeping Up?

The UK’s gambling regulatory landscape has shifted decisively toward consumer protection and transparency. Key reforms have been launched by both the UK Gambling Commission (“UKGC”) and the UK Government, from the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper to the January 2026 introduction of Responsible Incentives and new Deposit Limits coming later this year.¹ These updates reflect a broader strategy aimed at reducing gambling-related harm and enhancing customer control and require operators to make changes to how gambling incentives are offered, customer preferences are managed, risk information is displayed and financial limits and protections are applied.

This shift is underlined by a more strident approach to enforcement. In 2024/2025, UKGC carried out 9,700 compliance actions, up from 4,200 in 2023/2024. These activities range from targeted data-driven actions to full assessments of license conditions and code of practice and UKGC has pledged to maintain this intensified oversight in 2026.² Recent assessment outcomes point to recurring weakness that operators will need to address to be prepared for potential UKGC compliance assessments.³ These include persistent failures regarding social responsibility, inadequate customer interaction practices, insufficient affordability assessments and weak Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) controls, with one in four firms failing to achieve a ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ rating.⁴ UKGC has also identified systemic shortcomings relating to governance, risk management and regulatory readiness.

It is time for gambling operators to act quickly to ensure the integrity of risk management frameworks and adherence to license conditions. Failure to do so can result in considerable regulatory, reputational and financial consequences, including fines, public warnings, license revocation or impact on international expansion plans.

There are key steps gambling operators can follow to ensure they are ready for a UKGC compliance assessment.

Build Culture First
Gambling operators must embed risk culture and accountability deep within their organisation. Start with a thorough analysis of UKGC reports, including poor practices, case studies, and notable enforcement cases, as well as guidance and lessons learned and use these insights to shape training across the business. Compliance teams should ensure appropriate training is provided to customer-facing staff on identifying and reporting suspicious activity, as well as spotting markers of harm and leading effective customer interactions. By doing so, operators can demonstrate a proactive and customer-centric approach to compliance.
With the UKGC calling for greater transparency and accountability, it is vital to establish a robust governance and oversight structure. Operators are required to appoint a nominated compliance officer with clear responsibilities and ensure senior leadership regularly reviews compliance reports to set a strong ‘tone from the top’. When compliance is embedded in strategy and culture, compliance assessments become opportunities rather than threats or boxes to tick.

Assess Yourself Before They Do
In today’s regulatory environment, complacency is a luxury no firm can afford. Gambling firms should assess their operations, rather than wait for the UKGC to find the gaps. That involves conducting routine assessments of critical areas, including AML, customer interactions and safer gambling initiatives. Operators should review the adequacy of the due diligence measures, risk-based approach and Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment as part of their review.
Regulatory updates from the past year should be used as a benchmark to identify priorities and plan corrective actions, showing a commitment to protecting customers and maintaining the highest standards of compliance to UKGC.

Turn Weaknesses into Wins
Once weaknesses are identified, operators must prioritise fixes, allocate resources and set timelines. With the UKGC focusing heavily on the customer, the operators should strengthen customer-facing controls. This includes setting financial and deposit limits and requiring customers to review account information to promote safer gambling practices, in addition to setting spending reminders and updating promotion practices.
Transparency is also key, particularly when it comes to protecting customer funds. While there is no legal requirement to do so, the UKGC mandates that operators disclose their protection measures, or lack thereof, and remind customers of the risks every six months if funds are unprotected. Operators must therefore update onboarding flows, user interfaces, customer account dashboards, reporting systems and marketing materials to proactively ensure compliance with these obligations.
Operators should also remember that compliance assessments aren’t just about flaws, they are a chance to showcase your response. Documenting outcomes, assigning accountability and establishing timelines for corrective measures can go a long way in the eyes of the regulator. A clear and well-managed response helps build trust and shows that an operator is taking compliance seriously, particularly at a time when many businesses are under increased scrutiny.

Records Matter
Record keeping is one of the common weaknesses identified within the gambling industry, which includes poorly maintained account records, inadequate customer due diligence and also lack of audit trails.
UKGC expects clear, accessible, and detailed records of policies, procedures, risk assessments, decision-making processes and incident logs. Gambling operators should ensure they maintain accurate, transparent, and well-organised records that are easily accessible to staff, but also available to retrieve for assessors as and when required. A spotless paper trail is your first line of defence during a compliance assessment.

Tech-Test: Validate Your Systems
Technology is central to ensuring compliance and delivering a seamless user experience. As such, the design and implementation of customer-facing controls should be treated as a key component of compliance risk.
Gambling operators must regularly test and validate their verification, monitoring and control systems to demonstrate that they function effectively and meet regulatory expectations. This also includes newly mandated features, such as product-specific opt-ins or the display of risk indicators.
The UKGC’s Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards⁵ (“RTS”) set out clear requirements around software reliability, self-exclusion mechanisms, and the fairness of outcomes. Technical compliance isn’t a “set and forget” process, ongoing validation of critical systems – particularly of affordability checks, self-exclusion protocols, and customer risk triggers – is essential to maintaining compliance and safeguarding players.

Speak with Confidence: Engage with the UKGC
A strong relationship with the regulator is built on transparency. Gambling operators should engage early and often, clarifying expectations and disclosing proactively to demonstrate a genuine commitment to compliance.
Operators should be prepared to provide clear evidence of updates made in response to new regulatory requirements and be able to articulate their customers’ journey with confidence. Demonstrating awareness and ownership at the executive level reinforces good governance and supports a credible compliance narrative.
During compliance assessments, gambling operators should ensure honest, structured and organised engagement with the regulators. This can be achieved by appointing a designated point of contact with sufficient experience and appropriate preparation to anticipate likely questions and ensure consistent responses.

Are You Ready for the UKGC Compliance Assessment?

As regulatory expectations continue to rise, it is important to prepare strategically in anticipation of UKGC compliance assessments. Effective compliance frameworks shape governance effectiveness, customer protection, operational resilience and regulatory confidence. Where controls are fragmented or reactive, risk and exposure will follow.

For licensees operating in an increasingly scrutinised market, compliance readiness depends on clear ownership, consistent application of controls, reliable systems and well-documented outcomes. A structured, proactive approach will increase trust and resilience over the long term.

Footnotes:

1: “High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age,” GOV.UK (April 27, 2023) and “New deposit limit rules provide clarity for consumers,” Gambling Commission (October 7, 2025).

2: “Annual Report 2024-2025,” Gambling Commission (December 2025).

3: “Business Plan and Budget 2025 to 2026,” Gambling Commission (April 2025).

4: “Licensee compliance with consumer protection requirements,” Gambling Commission.

5: “Remote gambling and software technical standards,” Gambling Commission (February 2, 2021).