After years of debate, Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has approved financial risk assessments (FRAs), the more detailed of the two financial checks proposed in the 2023 Gambling Act review White Paper. The Commission described them as the “best possible option” for supporting consumers facing significant financial difficulty, and it rejects the label “affordability checks”.
How the checks are triggered
FRAs are triggered by net deposits, which puts payment data at the centre of compliance. As reported by InterGame in July 2026:
Stage one
- Over-25s: net deposits of more than £5,000 in a rolling 24 hours.
- Under-25s: net deposits of more than £2,500 in a rolling 24 hours.
Final stage
- Rolling 24 hours: £1,000 (over-25s) and £750 (under-25s).
- Rolling 90 days: £3,000 (over-25s) and £2,000 (under-25s).
The lighter-touch financial vulnerability checks already apply at net deposits of £150 over a rolling 30 days, a threshold lowered from £500 in February 2025.
Frictionless for most players
The checks will use data from credit reference agencies. The Commission’s pilot found that fewer than 3% of active accounts would trigger an assessment, around 97% of those would pass without friction, and fewer than one in 1,000 accounts would see extra friction. The Commission says verifying customer identity well at the start of the relationship can reduce friction further.
The rollout
No firm start date has been set. Implementation groups are working with the industry, credit reference agencies need time to prepare, and larger operators will go first. The Commission has said it will not take enforcement action against operators simply because a check has been triggered.
What it means for payments
- Net deposit tracking must be accurate and real-time, across every payment method, in rolling 24-hour, 30-day and 90-day windows.
- Withdrawals count. Net deposits subtract withdrawals, so fast, well-recorded payouts matter for compliance as well as player experience.
- Payment data quality pays off. Verified names and bank accounts from open banking and closed-loop payouts make identity matching smoother.
- Avoid blunt friction. The Commission has warned against operators adding unnecessary document checks.
Getting deposit and payout data in one place makes these rules far easier to apply. See how Tuskpay Payouts and Smart Orchestration give you a single view, or talk to our team.
This article summarises public sources for general information and is not legal advice.