The UK Gambling Commission has outlined its strategic priorities for 2025, emphasizing its focus on tackling illegal gambling, enhancing data transparency, and addressing emerging challenges such as crypto-assets. During his annual speech, CEO Andrew Rhodes underscored the Commission’s unwavering dedication to evidence-based regulation and safeguarding public confidence within the UK gambling industry.
Despite increasing scrutiny from both the industry and the public, Rhodes reaffirmed that the core role of the UK Gambling Commission remains steady. He emphasized that the regulator’s guiding principles are rooted in the three licensing objectives keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring fairness, and protecting vulnerable individuals. “Our obligation is to permit gambling providing it’s in line with the licensing objectives and that’s what we will continue to,” Rhodes stated confidently.
Throughout the past year, the Commission has taken a firm stance against illegal operators, issuing hundreds of cease-and-desist orders and actively removing unlicensed websites from the UK market. Rhodes pointed out that illegal gambling not only jeopardizes fair play for legitimate businesses but also endangers players who lack proper safeguards. The regulator has called on licensed operators to uphold high standards of compliance and to ensure their partnerships do not inadvertently involve unregulated entities. He highlighted that transparency and consistent enforcement are fundamental to fostering industry trust and ensuring regulatory stability over the long term.
Looking ahead, the Commission is advancing its data strategy by implementing Regular Operator Core Data feeds, aimed at fostering a more risk-based regulatory approach. Rhodes explained that this initiative is already enhancing the regulator’s ability to analyze operator performance and spot potential problems early. “We are starting to see the shoots of this from the data we are now able to analyse,” he remarked.
Rhodes also addressed the rising concerns surrounding crypto-assets and their potential influence on gambling markets. What was once considered a distant issue has now become an immediate challenge for regulators. The Commission intends to monitor these developments closely and work more collaboratively with licensed operators to manage the risks.
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Finally, Rhodes emphasized that the UK Gambling Commission does not seek to be adversarial but aims to build a partnership with the industry founded on transparency and proactive compliance. The regulator plans to leverage advanced analytics and cross-sector data sharing to better identify high-risk behaviors and ultimately improve consumer protection outcomes.
