What is Affordability checks?
Affordability checks are assessments of whether a customer can afford their level of gambling, using credit data or financial documents, triggered when spending passes set thresholds.
In Great Britain, the Gambling Commission introduced light-touch financial vulnerability checks from 30 August 2024, triggered at £500 net deposits in a rolling 30 days and lowered to £150 from 28 February 2025. These use publicly available information such as county court judgments and insolvency records. More detailed financial risk assessments for much higher spending were piloted using credit reference data, with the pilot reporting that most checks were frictionless.
The Netherlands requires operators to verify affordability before players deposit more than €700 a month, or €300 for young adults.
Supporters say checks prevent serious financial harm. Critics, including parts of the horse racing industry, argue they are intrusive and push customers to unlicensed sites. The debate over affordability checks has been one of the most contested in UK gambling policy since 2023.