On 26 June 2026, the Gambling Commission (the Commission) published a Call for industry proposals to address the burdens associated with gambling regulation.

This call for proposals follows the Commission’s Business Plan for 2026-27, which emphasised support for consumer‑focused innovation alongside regulatory consistency. It also highlighted a commitment to reviewing industry proposals to reduce administrative burdens and improve how regulatory requirements are communicated (subject to resources).

The Commission has reiterated that compliance costs, including the cost of demonstrating compliance, should remain proportionate to consumer risk and consistent with the Commission’s Statement of Principles for Licensing and Regulation and the licensing objectives of the Gambling Act 2005.

Scope

The Commission invites proposals across all aspects of gambling regulation, noting that proposals could relate to a broad range of matters, including:

  • The Commission’s own Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, technical standards and Statements of Principles.
  • The wider regulatory landscape or how different requirements that apply to a business interact.
  • Current requirements or guidance that, due to the passage of time and other regulatory or legislative changes, no longer serve their intended purpose well or could be streamlined or rationalised.
  • Innovative proposals to improve or enhance the consumer experience of the gambling market while remaining reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives.
  • The Commission’s operational processes which could be streamlined to reduce the costs of administration associated with regulatory reporting.
  • How the Commission could more effectively structure and communicate its regulatory requirements, guidance and expectations.

Where proposals relate to issues beyond the Commission’s remit, such as in relation to legislation, the Commission will ensure these are passed on to the relevant bodies.

Exceptions

The Commission notes that it is unlikely to consider detailed proposals in relation to the following:

  • Live and current policy areas that have been subject to formal consultation where results have not yet been published; and
  • Recent policy developments that have already been consulted on, implemented, and remain under evaluation.

Only strong evidence of adverse consequences will justify revisiting recent policy changes. In addition, the Commission makes clear that this call for proposals should not be used to introduce new or additional regulatory measures arising from the Gambling Act Review or the 2023 white paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age. These reforms introduced a comprehensive package of enhanced consumer protections, and their implementation and evaluation are still ongoing.

Next steps

The deadline for submitting proposals is 25 September 2026. The Commission asks that respondents use the form provided to set out their rationale and the anticipated benefits and impacts of their proposals.

Once responses have been received, the Commission will assess proposals and determine what action, if any, can be taken to ensure the regulatory burden remains proportionate to the risks. It notes that changes to existing controls may themselves require formal consultation, and that formal consideration and decisions to take proposals forward will depend on available resources and business planning prioritisation.