Gambling Commission's Ian Angus outlines regulatory priorities

Ian Angus, Director of Policy at the Gambling Commission, delivered a comprehensive assessment of Britain's gambling landscape and regulatory priorities at the Institute of Licensing Gambling Conference on 28 April 2026, highlighting significant shifts in both consumer behaviour and industry operations following recent tax changes.

The speech provided detailed insights into current gambling participation rates, the impact of November's Budget on operator strategies, and the Commission's evolving enforcement capabilities, particularly regarding illegal gambling operations.

Gambling Participation Remains Stable Despite Industry Changes

Drawing from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), the world's largest gambling survey of its kind, which surveys approximately 20,000 people annually, Angus presented a nuanced picture of contemporary gambling behaviour across Britain.

The GSGB's second Annual Report, published in October, revealed that 48 percent of participants aged 18 and over had participated in any form of gambling within the past four weeks. Participants showed a preference for online gambling over in-person activities, with 38 percent gambling online compared to 29 percent gambling in person.

However, Angus emphasised the importance of context in interpreting these figures, noting that much of the online preference stems from lottery ticket purchases conducted digitally. When lottery draws are excluded from the analysis, the picture shifts considerably: 18 percent of participants had gambled in person compared with 16 percent online, demonstrating the continued significance of land-based gambling operations.

The most popular gambling activities reflected this blend of traditional and digital preferences. Playing the National Lottery topped the list at 31 percent, followed by purchasing tickets for other charity lotteries at 16 percent and buying scratchcards at 13 percent. These activities predominantly occur on local high streets or during everyday outings.

By comparison, 11 percent of participants had placed a bet within the previous four weeks, while 5 percent had engaged with fruit machines or slots games, highlighting the relatively specialised nature of these gambling forms.

Harm Prevalence Remains Statistically Stable

The Commission's harm monitoring through the Problem Gambling Survey Index (PGSI) showed 2.7 percent of participants scoring 8 or above, indicating potential gambling with negative consequences and possible lack of control. This figure remained statistically stable compared to the previous year's data.

Angus balanced these harm statistics with evidence of positive gambling experiences, noting that when asked to rate their feelings towards gambling, 42 percent of adults who had gambled in the past 12 months rated their most recent gambling experience positively, with another 37 percent providing neutral responses.

"Gambling is enjoyed by millions of people each week and the vast majority of those who gamble will do so with no issues. But gambling can and does cause harms as well and left unchecked, sometimes these harms can be severe in the extreme."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

Industry Structure and Revenue Patterns

For the first time, the Commission published quarterly rather than annual regulatory returns data, enabling more responsive monitoring of industry trends. The most recent data, published in February covering July to September, showed a Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) of £4.3 billion for all gambling in Great Britain, including lotteries. This aligns with the annual report figure showing GGY for 2024/25 reached £16.8 billion.

As of September, Great Britain hosted 8,254 gambling premises, comprising 5,782 betting shops and 1,454 Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs). Compared to March 2025 figures, the sector saw 39 more AGCs, 43 fewer betting shops, and 20 more premises overall.

Angus highlighted these marginal changes as evidence against media narratives suggesting an explosion of gambling premises on high streets, noting that national statistics don't support such claims, though conditions may vary between individual communities.

The September data also recorded 190,965 machines in Gambling Commission licensed premises across Great Britain, representing a slight year-on-year increase.

Budget 2025 Triggers Operational Restructuring

The 2025 Budget introduced substantial changes to gambling taxation that are reshaping operator strategies. Remote gaming duty increased to 40 percent from April 2026, up from 21 percent, while general betting duty will rise to 25 percent from April 2027, increased from 15 percent. The general betting duty increase excludes Self-Service Betting Terminals, Spread Betting, Pool Betting and Horse Racing. Additionally, Bingo duty will be abolished from April 2026.

These tax changes prompted the Treasury to allocate an additional £26 million over three years to the Gambling Commission specifically for tackling illegal gambling, recognising the potential market displacement effects of higher taxation.

"We are pleased that the effectiveness of our work to tackle illegal gambling has been recognised by the Treasury in this way and this funding will certainly allow us to upscale our activity."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

Significantly, this funding enables the Commission to invest more specifically in addressing land-based illegal gambling for the first time, an area where resource constraints had previously limited enforcement capabilities.

Angus acknowledged that several leading gambling operators have announced premises closures in response to the tax changes, with the regulatory returns data expected to reflect these closures over the coming year.

Enhanced Enforcement Powers and Machine Standards

The Commission's regulatory approach is evolving to address both compliance and innovation. From 29 July 2026, gambling operators must immediately remove machines when informed by the Commission that their manufacture, supply, installation, adaptation, maintenance, or repair was not carried out under proper licensing or failed to meet required standards.

This change, announced in January as the first part of the Commission's response to its gaming machine consultation, aims to streamline processes and ensure swift removal of non-compliant machines. The full consultation response will be published in the Summer, following continued analysis of responses, supplementary data, research and evidence reports.

The Commission is also planning a strategic review of current regulatory requirements to assess their impact, efficiency and burden, aligning with the Government's broader regulatory reform agenda. However, this initiative depends on the outcome of the Government's consultation on Commission fees conducted earlier this year.

Strengthening Co-Regulatory Partnerships

Angus emphasised the critical importance of the Commission's relationship with local authorities as co-regulatory partners under the Gambling Act 2005, which granted licensing, fee-setting and enforcement powers to both bodies.

"Local authorities therefore have a crucial role in the regulation of gambling across the country. And you are a vital source of intelligence and data for the Commission and our work."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

The Commission, based in Birmingham, acknowledges resource limitations that prevent comprehensive high street presence across Great Britain, making local authority partnerships essential for effective regulation.

To support this relationship, the Commission runs regular webinars, distributes bulletins and updates, and participates in face-to-face events. A training webinar about gaming machines is scheduled for 12 May, with invitations sent to licensing authorities.

Following feedback from a questionnaire distributed after Angus's November appearance at the Institute of Licensing annual conference, the Commission committed in its Business Plan to consulting on amendments to its 'Guidance to Licensing Authorities'. These amendments will incorporate Gambling Act Review reforms by both government and the Commission, reflect relevant case law, and explore content modernisation to ensure accessibility and relevance for stakeholders.

Legislative Developments and Impact Assessments

Government legislation is advancing to provide local authorities with enhanced powers for gambling regulation. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has been amended to deliver Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs), enabling more detailed analysis of gambling's community effects.

Once the Bill becomes law, the Commission will collaborate with DCMS, its sponsoring department, to produce guidance for licensing authorities and stakeholders on implementing GIAs. These assessments must use robust evidence and meaningful consultation with communities, operators and stakeholders before implementation.

Agreed GIAs must be incorporated into authorities' Statement of Principles for gambling before creating presumptions that new premises licence applications within the assessment scope will be rejected. However, applicants retain the right to demonstrate that their proposals align with licensing objectives and merit approval, with courts potentially making final determinations on appeals.

The Gambling Act review also recommended new powers for the Commission to tackle illegal online gambling, which are progressing through Parliament via separate legislation.

Corporate Strategy Implementation and Business Planning

The Commission is entering the final year of its current Corporate Strategy, with the 2026/27 Business Plan published last week outlining delivery against five strategic focuses: using data andalytics for more effective regulation, enhancing core operational functions, setting clear evidence-based licensee requirements, proactive issue resolution, and regulating the National Lottery successfully.

This encompasses expanded illegal gambling enforcement, improved data maturity and evidence capabilities, continued decisive action and proactive operator engagement for compliance, and ongoing Gambling Act review White Paper implementation.

The Business Plan will be revisited once the Government's fee consultation outcome is confirmed, potentially enabling additional strategic initiatives depending on available resources.

Training and Knowledge Transfer

The Commission continues expanding its training provision for local authorities, building on established webinar programmes and guidance updates. The forthcoming gaming machines webinar on 12 May represents part of this ongoing educational commitment, reflecting the technical complexity of modern gambling regulation.

These training initiatives recognise that effective co-regulation requires consistent understanding of regulatory standards and emerging challenges across all enforcement partners.

Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

While acknowledging the substantial changes facing the gambling sector, Angus emphasised continuity in the Commission's fundamental approach and objectives. The regulator remains committed to safer, fairer and crime-free gambling, regardless of external pressures or industry restructuring.

The Commission's determination to prevent large-scale illegal gambling market development in Great Britain represents a key strategic priority, supported by enhanced resources and refined enforcement capabilities.

Innovation and customer experience improvements remain regulatory priorities alongside safety and fairness objectives, though balanced implementation requires careful resource management and strategic prioritisation.

Strategic Implications for Regulatory Framework

The convergence of tax policy changes, enhanced enforcement capabilities, and evolving consumer preferences creates a complex regulatory environment requiring adaptive responses from both the Commission and local authorities. The additional funding for illegal gambling enforcement represents recognition that regulatory displacement effects require proactive management rather than reactive responses.

The emphasis on land-based illegal gambling enforcement acknowledges that tax-driven market changes could incentivise unauthorised operations, particularly in communities where legitimate gambling options become economically unviable for operators.

The planned regulatory requirements review signals potential structural changes to compliance frameworks, though any modifications will require careful balancing of burden reduction with consumer protection maintenance.

For local authorities, the forthcoming Gambling Impact Assessment powers represent significant enhancement of community protection capabilities, enabling evidence-based resistance to potentially harmful gambling expansions while preserving legitimate business opportunities. The Commission's continued emphasis on co-regulatory partnerships reflects practical resource constraints and recognition that effective gambling regulation requires comprehensive local knowledge and presence that centralised enforcement cannot provide alone.

According to UK Gambling Commission.