On 29 July 2025, the Gambling Commission published its Annual report and accounts 2024 – 2025 (the “Annual Report”) for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 (the “Period”), which the Gambling Commission describes as a “busy and productive year…in its work to make gambling in Great Britain safer, fairer and crime-free”.

Key focuses of the Gambling Commission during the Period include (a) the publication of its new three-year Corporate Strategy, (b) the implementation of measures flowing from the Gambling Act Review (the “Review”), and (c) the National Lottery. The Gambling Commission also highlights other areas in which it considers to have made progress, including tackling illegal gambling, its collection and use of data, and improving its operational and financial performance.

The Annual Report contains a performance report in which the Gambling Commission provides a detailed overview of its delivery during the Period against the five strategic objectives from its Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027. Key highlights from the performance report in respect of each strategic objective are set out below:

1. Using data and analytics to make gambling regulation more effective

• The Gambling Commission progressed in closing evidence gaps in priority areas across all licensing objectives by publishing its Evidence Gaps and Priorities programme. The Gambling Commission has also been exploring drivers of consumers’ trust in gambling which can be tracked over time through the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (“GSGB”).
• Regulatory return requirements were amended following consultation by streamlining the number of questions asked and harmonising reporting periods to be on a quarterly, rather than annual, basis. The first annual report from the new GSGB was published.
• The Gambling Commission launched a pilot scheme by collaborating with a small group of volunteering operators to develop the Gambling Commission’s approach to obtaining a regular feed of core data that will give up-to-date insight into how people’s gambling is changing.

2. Enhancing core operational functions

• In 2024, the Gambling Commission’s licensing team piloted a revised relationship management approach where licensees were supported by a dedicated team via phone and email to resolve queries, ranging from advice on filling out the new regulatory return forms to technical queries relating to the application of requirements. It also established an Operator Engagement Forum.
• The Gambling Commission took steps to increase its efforts in tackling and disrupting illegal gambling activity, issuing 516 cease and desist requests to illegal operators (an increase from 384 during 2023-2024), and a further 352 to advertisers and/or affiliates of unlicensed operators. The Gambling Commission’s response to the December 2023 consultation on financial penalties was published and made significant changes to its Statement of Principles for Determining Financial Penalties.
• During 2024 -2025, the Gambling Commission improved the transparency of industry compliance by reporting on the findings of its compliance work within its suite of impact metrics, a set of headline figures intended to help demonstrate the Gambling Commission’s impact.

3. Setting clear evidence-based requirements for licensees

• During 2024-2025, the Gambling Commission published multiple consultation responses and fully implemented several reformative measures of the White Paper. This included launching the Financial Risk Assessment pilot scheme, introducing the Statutory Levy and increasing the coverage of Personal Management Licences.

4. Being proactive and addressing issues at the earliest opportunity

• The Gambling Commission developed and embedded an Industry Forum to provide insight into the Gambling Commission’s plans, the quality of its service and the wider environment in which licensees work.
• A comprehensive strategic assessment of the fair and open licensing objective was conducted, which has resulted in the Gambling Commission focusing on a package of improvement works during 2025-2026 to improve transparency for consumers on the reasons for identity checks or account restrictions, particularly where these take place later in the consumer journey, such as on withdrawal.

5. Regulating a successful National Lottery

• The 4th National Lottery (“4NL”) Licence started on 1 February 2024 with Allwyn succeeding Camelot UK Lotteries Limited as the licensee. The Gambling Commission continued to prioritise and uphold the National Lottery duties. The 4NL controls have been fully embedded through the 4NL Programme, which includes agreed upgrades to the systems, the website and mobile application, to enhance the user experience and ensure the National Lottery is fit for purpose for the duration of the Licence and beyond.
• The Gambling Commission notes its enforcement investigation against Allwyn for not delivering full functionality by February 2025, and also the active litigation brought against the Gambling Commission by The New Lottery Company, one of the unsuccessful bidders for the 4NL Licence.

The Gambling Commission also acknowledges:

1. Its increased cooperation with international regulators during 2024-2025 and its intention to continue to build its international network.
2. That the current system for Gambling Commission fees is “unusual and inflexible” and that it has begun to explore options for reforming its fee structure, which is a key commitment of the White Paper.

The remainder of the Annual Report discusses the financial and sustainability performance of the Gambling Commission, its corporate governance and internal risk management systems, and provides details of the Gambling Commission’s financial statements.

What’s next?

In the Foreword of the Annual Report, Gambling Commission Interim Chair, Charles Counsell, and its Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, Andrew Rhodes, both agree that:

“The substantial work done in 2024-2025 gives the Commission a great opportunity to make further steps forward in our work to make gambling safer, fairer and crime free. This is an opportunity everyone at the Commission is fully dedicated to making the most of in the year ahead.”

We encourage readers to read the Annual Report and the Gambling Commission’s Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027. For further details on the Corporate Strategy, please see our previous blog. If you have any questions regarding the Gambling Commission’s various areas of focus in the industry, please do not hesitate to get in touch.