Government action called for in the UK to strengthen measures safeguarding minors from the risks of gambling
The UK government is taking significant steps to strengthen its gambling regulations, with a focus on an "evidence-based approach" in deploying rules and regulations. This shift comes as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) aims to incentivize companies to meet the most rigorous compliance and player safety criteria by penalizing them based on their gross gaming yield.
In a move to address concerns about the long-term harm from early exposure to gambling promotion, the government is replacing industry-funded GambleAware with a new entity that will administer research, treatment, and help options more rigorously. This independent regulator, yet to be named, will also replace the current regulator and will be more tightly regulated for administering these vital services.
The new regulator's primary focus will be on an evidence-based approach, ensuring that rules and regulations are based on thorough research and analysis. Evans, the driving force behind these changes, has expressed that these are only a first step towards further reforms.
Several measures and proposed reforms are already in place to restrict minors' exposure to gambling advertisements, especially in sports contexts. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) actively monitors gambling ads, ruling against those that target under-18s. Licensed operators must also comply with strict marketing rules set by the UKGC, which prohibit targeting minors or vulnerable groups and require clear promotion of terms.
The Online Safety Act 2023, enforced since July 2025, mandates rigorous age verification for online content, including gambling websites, to prevent minors from accessing such content and associated ads. Ofcom, the UK regulator, has strong enforcement powers with penalties up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover for companies failing to protect children online.
The European Digital Services Act (DSA) guidance, though UK-specific, influences standards for online platforms accessible to minors by requiring proportionate measures to prevent profiling-based ad targeting of those under 18.
Despite these regulations, challenges remain. The Online Safety Act’s age verification requirements have raised privacy concerns and have caused some over-censorship, potentially limiting access to legitimate content and driving some users towards circumvention methods like VPN usage.
The ASA’s insistence on manual vetting and targeted ad placement demonstrates progress but also highlights difficulties in completely preventing ads from reaching underage users, especially in digital environments where user data and targeting are complex. Public trust in the effectiveness of these measures appears limited, with only 24% of UK adults believing the Online Safety Act effectively protects children.
In addition, the new laws enacted by the government include a statutory levy. The UK Gambling Commission has passed measures to penalize offending companies based on their gross gaming yield. The government is also planning to establish an independent regulator to penalize companies for breach of advertising rules, including the possibility of shutting down offending companies.
Evans has hailed these changes as a significant step towards mitigating the risks of early gambling normalization and associated long-term harm. However, it is clear that continued refinement is needed to address concerns about privacy, enforcement overreach, and residual ad exposure to minors.
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