UKGC Special Measures Cases Spiked in 2022-24
FOI data reveals a surge in gambling firms facing intense regulatory scrutiny, with divestments peaking at over £600,000 in one year.
Data from a Freedom of Information request reveals the number of gambling firms placed under intense regulatory scrutiny by the UKGC more than doubled in 2022/23. This enforcement peak coincided with over £600,000 in divested funds from operators.
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Special Measures Cases Hit Five-Year High
The number of gambling operators placed under "special measures" by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) more than doubled in the 2022/23 financial year, hitting a five-year peak. Data obtained by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 16 April 2025 shows a significant increase in serious regulatory interventions during the period.
A total of 12 firms were put into special measures in 2022/23, followed by 10 in 2023/24. This is a marked increase from the 4 firms in 2021/22 and 7 in 2020/21.
What This Means for Consumers
"Special measures" is a term for an intensive regulatory process the UKGC applies to operators when it has serious concerns about their operations. This often relates to failures in social responsibility (protecting vulnerable customers) or anti-money laundering (AML) controls. For a consumer, knowing that the regulator is taking such action provides insight into the level of compliance across the industry.
The data also reveals the value of "voluntary divestments" made by firms under this regime. A divestment is when an operator agrees to pay back money, typically profits gained from customers as a result of compliance failings. This money is usually directed to socially responsible causes. This is a key tool for ensuring that operators do not profit from their mistakes.
The Data Breakdown
The FOI response, published on the UKGC's website, provides a clear year-on-year breakdown.
Number of Firms Placed into Special Measures:
- FY 2020/21: 7
- FY 2021/22: 4
- FY 2022/23: 12
- FY 2023/24: 10
- FY 2024/25: 5
Total Voluntary Divestments:
- FY 2021/22: £194,731.00
- FY 2022/23: £603,620.12
- FY 2023/24: £434,519.00
- FY 2024/25: £51,624.67
The UKGC noted that it only began centrally recording the value of divestments in late 2021, which is why data for earlier periods is unavailable. It also clarified that not every operator placed into special measures is required to make a divestment.
Industry Implications
The spike in both special measures cases and divestment amounts during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years points to a period of heightened enforcement by the Gambling Commission. The peak in divestments, totalling over £600,000 in 2022/23, coincided directly with the peak in the number of firms facing this intense scrutiny.
For consumers, this data is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it demonstrates that the regulator is actively identifying and penalising non-compliant operators. On the other, it highlights that a significant number of licensed firms are falling short of the standards required to keep gambling safe and fair, necessitating such interventions in the first place.