The landscape of gambling regulation in the United Kingdom is about to undergo a major change. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has confirmed the upcoming closure of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG), an advisory body that has had a profound impact on public policy on responsible gambling.
A look back at the history of the ABSG
Created to support the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, the ABSG’s mission was to advise, critique and guide the national strategy to reduce the harms associated with gambling. Its role was clear: to ensure that regulation was not limited to protecting the market, but placed public health at the heart of its priorities.
Among its notable contributions are:
- Official recognition of the dangers of gambling as a public health issue.
- The inclusion of individuals with lived experience of addiction in decision-making processes, through the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP).
- Decisive support for the introduction of a compulsory levy to fund gambling-related research, education and treatment, thereby breaking the dependence on voluntary industry funding.
All of these achievements have profoundly transformed perceptions of problem gambling in the UK.
Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UKGC:
“As we move into a new phase with the implementation of research programmes funded by the statutory levy, our priority is to ensure we have the right expert input to help inform our work. This is the right time to close ABSG and establish new arrangements that reflect the future needs of our gambling regulation and research.”
GambleAware also coming to an end
The UK is also preparing to say goodbye to GambleAware, one of the country’s leading charities in the fight against gambling addiction.
Its closure, scheduled for 31 March 2026, is part of the same reform movement: the end of voluntary funding and the gradual transfer of responsibilities to public institutions.
The British government has already announced that it will appoint three national commissioners to lead research, education and treatment (RET) initiatives. This restructuring marks a desire to firmly anchor the fight against the harmful effects of gambling in public policy, removing it from dependence on industry donations.
A future built on a new balance
With these changes, the United Kingdom is entering an unprecedented phase in its regulation of gambling. The era of independent councils and industry-funded charities is coming to an end. Now it is time for a public system, funded by law and run by appointed experts.