UK Gambling Commission Outlines 2025 Priorities
The UK Gambling Commission has set out its main objectives for 2025, focusing on illegal gambling, data transparency and emerging risks such as crypto-assets. During his annual address, CEO Andrew Rhodes emphasized the Commission’s commitment to evidence-based regulation and maintaining public confidence in the UK gambling market.
Regulatory Focus Remains Unchanged
Andrew Rhodes reaffirmed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) role remains consistent despite growing scrutiny from the industry and public. He noted that the regulator’s approach continues to be guided by the three licensing objectives – keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring fairness, and protecting vulnerable people.
Andrew Rhodes said:
“Our obligation is to permit gambling providing it’s in line with the licensing objectives and that’s what we will continue to.”
Over the past year, the Commission has strengthened enforcement against illegal operators, issuing hundreds of cease-and-desist orders and removing unlicensed websites from the UK market. Rhodes highlighted that illegal gambling undermines fairness for compliant businesses and poses risks to players who lack proper protection. The regulator also called on licensed operators to maintain high compliance standards and ensure their partnerships do not expose them to unregulated activity. He added that transparency and consistent enforcement remain central to building industry trust and long-term regulatory stability.
Data-Driven Oversight and Emerging Risks
The Commission is advancing its data strategy through the introduction of Regular Operator Core Data feeds, designed to create a more risk-based regulatory model. According to Rhodes, this initiative is already improving the Commission’s ability to analyze operator performance and identify potential issues before they escalate.
Andrew Rhodes added:
“We are starting to see the shoots of this from the data we are now able to analyse.”
Rhodes also addressed growing concerns around crypto-assets and their potential impact on gambling markets, noting that what was once seen as a long-term issue has now become an immediate challenge. The regulator plans to monitor these developments closely while collaborating more actively with licensed operators.
Rhodes stressed that the Commission does not seek an adversarial relationship with the industry, but rather a partnership built on transparency and proactive compliance. The GC also plans to use advanced analytics and cross-sector data sharing to better detect high-risk behavior and improve consumer protection outcomes.