Are these really affordability checks?
Not in the Commission's own words. In its 2025 pilot updates it said financial risk assessments are not the same as «affordability checks», and that it had no requirements for affordability checks and was not proposing any. An assessment looks for signs of financial difficulty on your credit file, such as a debt management plan or a recent default, rather than measuring your income. The pilot went better than the 2023 White Paper expected:
- stage one: about 530,000 assessments on some 300,000 accounts, 95% of them frictionless;
- stage two: about 1.7 million assessments on some 860,000 accounts, 97% frictionless;
- the White Paper's estimate: 80%.
What are the thresholds?
The Commission announced the staged approach on 7 July 2026:
| Stage | Aged 25 and over | Under 25 and other high-risk groups |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1, largest operators | over £5,000 net deposit in 24 hours | over £2,500 net deposit in 24 hours |
| Interim stages | to be set | to be set |
| Final stage | over £1,000 in 24 hours or £3,000 in 90 days | over £750 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days |
Fewer than 0.5% of customers exceed £5,000 in 24 hours, the Commission says. During the early stages it will take no enforcement action over a failure to act after an assessment.
Why might a casino still ask for bank statements?
Because anti-money laundering rules sit apart from risk assessments. The Commission's guidance says operators may ask for bank statements to check that your source of funds is legitimate, and may look at income patterns, such as a pending house sale behind a large deposit. They may also set deposit or loss thresholds from your income using public data. Such requests can pause a payout, as described on withdrawal rights; a deposit limit is the tool you set yourself.
