If you’ve ever had a losing month at an online casino, there’s a good chance that rules introduced by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) may already apply to you. Since February 2025, operators have been required to carry out financial checks on customers who lose more than £150 within a set amount of time – and a recent study suggests roughly one in four UK gamblers would trigger them.
For a lot of players, the words “financial check” probably sound more alarming than they need to. Visions of having to justify your spending or jump through hoops to keep playing are understandable – but the reality is more straightforward than that for most people.
What exactly is the £150 rule?
The threshold is now a net loss of £150 within 30 days. The term “net loss” is defined in the UK online gambling industry as the total money deposited minus any withdrawals.
For example:
- You deposit: £200
- Withdraw: £80
- Net loss: £120 (which would sit just under the threshold).
It’s worth noting that the threshold is calculated on a rolling basis, meaning it isn’t tied to a calendar month. So if you deposit on the 15th of one month, the 30-day window runs to the 15th of the next – not the end of the month.
How do the checks actually work in practice?
The checks run in the background using publicly available data – things like bankruptcy orders, County Court Judgments, and records of unpaid debts. These checks will not affect your credit score, with no credit reference bureau data being involved. For the vast majority of players, the entire check happens without any interruption to their experience whatsoever.
However, when a check flags a concern, operators are expected to assess each situation individually and take proportionate action based on what the check reveals. Importantly, this doesn’t mean your account will automatically be closed or suspended – the response will depend entirely on the circumstances.
Once a check has been carried out and cleared, the operator doesn’t need to run another one on you for 12 months. So if you’re checked in January and cleared, you won’t face another until January the following year – even if you exceed the threshold again during that time. It’s worth remembering that operators have other tools and processes in place to monitor player activity, with responsible gambling required at all times.
How many people does it actually affect?
More than you might expect. According to a study published in the journal Public Health, nearly a quarter of gamblers triggered the threshold across a 12-month dataset of more than 243,000 UK players. That group also accounted for roughly 92% of all gambling expenditure in the dataset – so while it’s a minority of players, it represents the vast majority of money being spent.
Those caught by the threshold were more likely to be male and younger, and showed significantly higher levels of gambling activity overall.
Does being flagged mean you have a gambling problem?
Not necessarily – and this is an important thing to take away from the research. The same study broke down the group who exceeded the threshold into distinct subgroups. Around half were noted as “diversified spenders”, which is defined as people whose gambling appeared to be well within their financial means, no different in practice to other routine leisure spending. For this group, the check says nothing about their financial health.
For the remaining subgroups, spending behaviour pointed to potential financial difficulty, which is exactly the kind of situation these checks were built to identify.
The key point is that a blanket threshold can’t distinguish between the two on its own. Being flagged simply means the check has been triggered, but nothing more can be read into it at this stage.
What should you do if you’re contacted?
The main thing is not to jump to conclusions. Being contacted by your operator doesn’t mean your account is necessarily under immediate threat or that any assumptions are being made about you.
If further information is needed, cooperate with the process – it’s a legal requirement they’re following and in most cases it will be straightforward. Requirements can vary between operators, so if you’re unsure what’s being asked of you or why, contact their customer support team directly for clarification.
It’s also worth knowing that not everyone who triggers a check will hear anything at all. In some cases, where no serious concerns are identified, operators may simply continue monitoring in the background without making contact.
Why financial checks could get even more seamless
The current checks provide a useful starting point. But the next iteration of financial checks is already being explored in a bid to make gambling safer – and open banking is one avenue the UKGC has previously stated as a possible route forward.
This is particularly interesting given that open banking is already widely available at UK online casinos, with services like Trustly leading the way. Every time players deposit and withdraw with these services, they are using open banking technology to move funds directly between their bank account and the casino, quickly and securely.
But what gives this avenue the most potential is the adoption rate. It’s well-known that casinos with Trustly in the UK have been popular with players for many years now, along with other open banking services. What’s more, adoption continues to grow, so it’s easy to see why the UKGC has its eye on the technology as a possible foundation for future checks.
However, it’s worth noting that the UKGC has said enforced open banking was not something being considered. So whatever shape future checks take, they will need to work for every player, regardless of how they choose to deposit. Open banking may well play a role, but it would only ever be one option rather than the only route available.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or gambling advice. Online gambling carries risks, and statistically players stand a higher chance of losing their stake. You should only gamble what you can afford to lose, and participate if you are over the legal age in your jurisdiction. Always gamble responsibly and within your means. If you or someone you know is experiencing problems with gambling, seek help from a professional support service such as GamCare or BeGambleAware.