Understanding the Gambling Commission’s consultation on affordability checks

The checks being proposed will not take into account details such as postcode or job title. Instead, they will be “frictionless” and rely on credit reference data in most cases. However, in some instances, open banking or manual checks may be necessary. The pilot for these checks is scheduled to commence at the end of August and is anticipated to last for six months, with the possibility of an extension until the end of April next year.

During this interim period, an industry code on checks has been established, stipulating that financial documents should not be required for net annual deposits under £25,000. It has been assured that customers will not be affected during the pilot period. The purpose of this pilot is to assess the potential impact on consumers of the enhanced checks before determining whether they should be implemented in 2025. Therefore, the effects of either interim checks or enhanced checks on bettors and the racing industry remain uncertain at this stage.