Gambling across the UK

Although gambling has existed for most of human history, the UK has only officially licensed betting shops and casinos since 1960. Various laws were passed over the last few hundred years, mostly to outlaw various types of illicit gambling. Only the arrival of the Betting and Gaming Act 1960 regulated gambling in Britain and led to an expansion of the industry.

The gambling industry in Britain brings in around £17 billion in profit each year, around half of which comes from online gambling, a quarter from physical betting shops and gaming centres, and a quarter from lottery sales. Just under half of the UK population participates in some kind of gambling on a weekly basis and, even if you exclude people who only take part in the National Lottery, this means nearly 20 million people gamble across the nation.

More people gamble online than in person, even if you include popping into a corner shop to buy a lottery ticket or scratchcard. Young adults (18 to 24) are the most likely to gamble, and those aged over 75 are the least likely to do so. Nearly 14% of those who gamble have some kind of adverse consequence or symptom of problem gambling.

England, Wales and Scotland are covered by the Gambling Act 2005 which grants local authorities the power to licence betting shops. The Act also created the Gambling Commission, which regulates gambling law for the UK. The Commission regulates all betting apart from spread betting (a form of financial trading regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority). Initially it also excluded regulation of the National Lottery, which was handled by the National Lottery Commission, but the two organisations were merged in 2013.

The current Labour government passed the Gambling Act 2005 (Operating Licence Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 which introduced new restrictions on online slot betting which caps spins at £5, or £2 for those aged 18 to 25. It also brought in the Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 which introduced a mandatory levy on gambling companies as a percentage of their Gross Gambling Yields, which were payable from October 2025. This changed the system from a voluntary funding model and aims to raise £100 million each year which is used for gambling harm treatment and prevention. This is, however, a small fraction of the profits made by gambling firms, and a small percentage of the cost of treatment for gambling harms.

Northern Ireland is not covered by the Gambling Act 2005, which means it remains unregulated. Northern Ireland makes up 3% of the UK population yet almost 10% of those with gambling harm live there, making the rate of harm in Northern Ireland 4.5 times larger than the rate in England. CARE continues to call for the Northern Ireland Assembly to update their gambling laws and introduce a regulator to the industry.

The UK has had lotteries for hundreds of years, going back to 1566, with the first state lottery in 1694. The current National Lottery began in 1994 and Lord Alton, who at the time was an MP, reflected on the lottery’s history, saying: “the national lottery was so full of corruption, abuses and the fear of syndicates, which has also been expressed today, that there was a national crusade to abolish it. I hope that there will not have to be a national crusade to undo what we are doing today.”

According to the Gambling Commission around 31% of the UK population took part in the National Lottery draw in the last month, which is 21.5 million people. 11%, or 7.6 million people, bought a lottery scratchcard in the past month, and 6% (4 million) participated in an Interactive Instant Win Game. In 2025, the National Lottery took in over £8 billion in total sales. Although the millionaires make the headlines, the odds of hitting the jackpot are 45 million to one and most people who play the lottery win nothing. The idea of winning a transformative amount of money appeals to those from more economically deprived areas, leading to the Daily Telegraph newspaper calling it “a tax on the poor”. This makes playing National Lottery a complicated activity for Christians.

Adult Gaming Centres, or AGCs, are a network of around 1,400 gambling premises across the country. Usually located in the high streets of more economically deprived areas, some of the shops are open 24 hours a day. It is a profitable business model for the owners, such as German-owned chain Merkur who posted a profit in 2024 of £15 million.

Slot machines of the type used in AGCs have been shown to be more addictive than other forms of gambling and betting. To limit the number of more addictive machines, there is the so-called ‘80:20 rule’. This means that only 20% of the machines in AGCs should be the highest stakes and most addictive kind. However, shops have circumvented this rule by providing stacks of iPads with games that are classified as low stakes. These tablets can be stored in a small area of the store, and frequently do not work. The Gambling Commission announced a crackdown on these methods in January 2026.

The Gambling Act gives local councils the power to license betting shops but it encourages them to allow gambling premises by default, a position called ‘aim to permit’. According to guidance from the Gambling Commission, the Act “places a legal duty … to aim to permit gambling, in so far as it is considered to be reasonably consistent with the pursuit of the licensing objectives.”

Under plans brought forward by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in August 2026, the “Aim to Permit” rule will be removed, giving councils the ability to block new betting shops and requiring new AGCs to get planning permission. The proposals are due to come into effect at the start of 2027.

Loot boxes are a feature of some video games that allow the player to buy random mystery items. Users pay with real money or virtual currency but do not know what item they will receive until they have made their purchase (You can read more about loot boxes and gambling here). Research has found that loot boxes blur the boundaries between games and gambling. A study from Bournemouth University found that half of loot box users displayed some kind of gambling risk; however, loot boxes are not classified as gambling in the UK.

In March 2026 the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) scheme, which gives age ratings to video games, published new criteria. It mandated that games which feature paid random mystery purchases should have a minimum 16 rating, which may rise to an 18 or over rating for some titles. Loot boxes occur in many popular games, including EA Sports FC, which will mean that these games will have a much higher age rating than previously. PEGI said that the “substantive change for the PEGI age rating system will help bolster online safety and meet the concerns and questions of today’s parents.”

An estimated £1.5 billion is spent on gambling advertising every year in the UK, and gambling firms participate in sports sponsorship, especially in football. Research has found that 29,000 betting messages were shown in the Premier League’s opening weekend in 2024; the match between West Ham and Aston Villa alone showed around 6,500 gambling-related advertisements.

The Premier League has announced that clubs will be forbidden from showing gambling adverts on the front of their shirts in the 2025-26 seasons. However, gambling companies can still advertise on shirt sleeves, including those who are unlicensed. Some unlicensed betting has been linked with organised crime, and unlicensed operators do not conform to current guidelines, such as financial vulnerability checks, responsible advertising, and fair practices. In February 2026, the government announced a consultation about banning unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sports teams, including the Premier League. The consultation closes in September 2026.

The Advertising Standards Authority has also banned advertisements from gambling companies that feature sports stars such as Lewis Hamilton, and logos of teams such as Chelsea football club. They argued that the adverts, and those involved with them, would appeal to those under the age of 18.

According to the NHS, 1.8 million people in England, which is nearly 3% of the adult population, are engaged in at-risk or problem gambling, including 190,000 children. 13 million people, or 20% of the population, are either directly or indirectly harmed by gambling. The most reported severe consequence of gambling was relationship breakdown. Nearly half of those directly experiencing gambling harms are classified as ‘at high risk of suicidal behaviour’ and research from Sweden suggests that they are fifteen times more likely to take their own lives. However, only around 9,000 a year seek out support for their gambling.

The losses of those gambling are worth £11 billion a year to the gambling industry. These losses are disproportionately skewed toward economically deprived areas. 18% of online gamblers in Britain are in debt, owing an average of £10,000. Those who are vulnerable to gambling harm can also be targeted by gambling firms. 35% of those suffering gambling harms receive daily incentives to gamble, compared to only 4% of those who are not. Additionally, around 86% of gambling companies’ profits come from only 5% of accounts.

While a scheme allowing people to self-exclude from physical betting shops had been around for some time, there was no equivalent scheme online where there are many more opportunities to gamble. CARE worked closely with Parliamentarians to secure an amendment through which the Government agreed to facilitate the creation of a ‘multi-operator self-exclusion’ tool, now known as GAMSTOP, which has enabled over 500,000 people to self-exclude from online gambling. This article tells you more about CARE’s involvement in the creation of GAMSTOP.

In July 2026, the Gambling Commission announced that it will be introducing Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) to identify and support those most at risk from gambling harms. The so-called ‘affordability checks’ will be introduced in a staged approach following a consultation about implementation with gambling companies in Summer 2026.

Evidence suggests that some high-spending gamblers are experiencing financial difficulties but are not being identified by gambling companies. FRAs will be used to identify and support these high-spending individuals and will be rolled out in a staged approach. The first stage will be carried out by the largest gambling operators for those who spend multiple thousands of pounds over a 24-hour period, an unusually high-spend pattern that only 0.5% of gamblers reach.

Eventually the FRAs will be applied to gamblers over 25 who deposit over £1,000 in a 24 hour period, or over £3,000 over a 90 day period. For those under 25 these thresholds will be lowered to £750 over 24 hours and £2,000 across 90 days. Once a FRA has been issued for someone it is expected that operators will respond appropriately, such as reducing marketing sent to vulnerable individuals and helping to set deposit limits. A pilot programme shows that 97% of high-spending gamblers could be easily identified through credit reference agencies without affecting a person’s credit score.

The Bible does not prohibit gambling, and Christians will come to different conclusions about whether to participate or not. But we are called to care for the vulnerable and look after those who are in danger of harm. There has been good progress in some areas: the establishment of the Gambling Commission, GAMSTOP, affordability checks, and the removal of ‘aim to permit’ rules. However, there is still much to be done. CARE continues to push for better measures in the industry, such as regulation of gambling in Northern Ireland, removal of TV adverts for gambling before the 9pm watershed, and an end to ‘free bet’ promotions targeted to those who are at risk of gambling harm.