UK Gambling Lobbying groups have been assured that “there is plenty more to come, as foreshadowed by the White Paper”.
The statement was made by Tim Miller, the Executive Director of Policy for the Gambling Commission, speaking at the forum of the Peers for Gambling Reform (PGR) – a group formed of 150 cross-party members of the House of Lords to “take immediate action on gambling harms.”
Addressing the “largest interest group in the Upper Chamber,” Miller offered to provide the Commission’s perspective on regulatory reforms and applying the changes of the White Paper.
“I want to explore what is needed to ensure that reforms deliver real, effective and measurable outcomes and what our role is, as the national regulator, in achieving those outcomes.”
Miller stands by the Gambling Review as the mandate that will deliver the most comprehensive reforms of a regulated gambling market ever undertaken by a regulatory authority.
As such Peers must recognise the evolution of the White Paper since its publication in 2023. The Commission has moved swiftly to implement its recommendations, including the generationally transformative actions of:
· Tighter controls on direct marketing, granting consumers more autonomy over the messages they receive.
· Financial vulnerability checks for customers spending £150 or more in a 30-day period, using publicly available data.
· The redesign of online games to reduce speed and intensity, enhancing fairness and transparency.
· Strengthened age-verification rules, requiring checks for anyone appearing under 25, and expanding obligations to smaller licensees.
Generational directives, Miller argued, represent meaningful change: “Taken together, alongside actions by government and others, this is already clear progress in delivering a significant body of reform. But this must be about more than just ticking off a to-do list — these changes are aimed at making gambling in Britain fundamentally safer, fairer, and better understood by consumers.”
“These are just some of the changes that we have delivered that have already come into force.”
A reckoning for UK licences
As Policy Director, Miller shares many of the reformists’ concerns on industry conduct as he did not shy away from criticising industry failings that made reform unavoidable.
“Some of the egregious failures that we saw in our own casework over the years demonstrated that reform was absolutely needed,” he said.
Beyond policy and process, Miller stressed that the White Paper ushers in a deeper culture of accountability among UK licensees, a long-standing demand from reformists that has echoed since the original 2005 Gambling Act.
The shift, he argued, is not just about regulation but about embedding responsibility at the core of licensed operations.
While some operators have adapted and improved, others had to be “dragged along that journey kicking and screaming” or have exited the market entirely.
The Commission, Miller emphasised, remains committed to compliance and will continue to take action where standards are not met.
Sector demands constant evaluation
Describing gambling as “a rapidly evolving landscape,” Miller warned against complacency. He argued that regulatory success cannot be achieved through legislation alone — it must be evaluated and evidenced over time.
“Getting into a position where we are on an endless treadmill of reform does not take us any further forward,” he said. “Like a treadmill, we risk expending a lot of energy just running on the spot.”
In that spirit, the Commission has partnered with DCMS and the National Centre for Social Research on a shared evaluation plan for the White Paper reforms. The programme aims to assess which measures are working, which need to be adjusted, and which offer limited benefit.
“We will not rely on gut instinct or belief to measure the success of the White Paper – we will rely upon evidence,” Miller stated.
Gambling regulations have no final chapter
Reformists were cautioned against framing the White Paper as a definitive beginning or end. Instead, Miller urged stakeholders to remain focused on the critical task of delivering its measures effectively and ensuring their impact is properly evaluated.
“Getting into a position where we are on an endless treadmill of reform does not take us any further forward… like a treadmill, we risk expending a lot of energy just running on the spot.”While many within the reformist camp may see the White Paper as only the beginning, Miller urged stakeholders not to lose sight of the importance of proper implementation and measurement.
“There will always be more to do,” he acknowledged, “but my encouragement to all of those that have an interest in making gambling fair, safe and crime free is: do not allow a drive for future reforms to be at the expense of effective delivery and measurement of current reforms.”
Miller concluded by reaffirming the Commission’s stance: it remains open to challenge and welcomes feedback from all sides. But its policies, he insisted, will continue to be grounded in evidence, not ideology.
“We are committed to understanding the impact of our efforts. To finding what works so we can do more of it. To finding what doesn’t work so we can improve it.”
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