Tim Miller Warns Casinos: “Delivery, Not Further Policy Papers, Will Protect Consumers”

_{Tim Miller delivering his speech in Westminster. (Image: Gambling Commission)}

At the Peers for Gambling Reform Summit in Westminster yesterday, Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller delivered a keynote address that underscored both progress and warning signs for Britain’s gambling sector.

Miller reflected on the “largest programme of reform since the Gambling Act of 2005,” and set out where the Commission believes the industry must go next. Speaking directly to casino operators and wider stakeholders, he stressed that while change has already been significant, the Commission will not hesitate to act against businesses that fall short.

Progress on Reform

Outlining measures already in force following the 2023 White Paper, Miller highlighted a number of changes with direct implications for casinos:
    •    Financial vulnerability checks, now triggered at £150 in a 30-day rolling period. Miller said these checks “help protect those who are at risk of harms.”
    •    Direct marketing controls, giving customers “greater control over the marketing they receive from gambling companies.”
    •    New online product rules, “reducing the speed and intensity of online products while making them fairer and increasing consumer understanding.”
    •    Tightened age verification, operators must now challenge anyone appearing under 25, with even smaller licensees required to conduct test purchasing.

“These are just some of the changes that we have delivered that have already come into force,” Miller reminded attendees.

A Call for Evidence-Based Delivery

While many campaigners want more, Miller warned against what he described as a “treadmill of reform.” He said:

“To make the greatest progress in making gambling safe, fair and crime free we need to understand what actually works in practice… we risk expending a lot of energy just running on the spot.”

The Commission has partnered with DCMS and the National Centre for Social Research to evaluate the reforms. “We are not going to rely upon gut instinct or belief to measure the success of the White Paper, we will rely upon evidence,” he confirmed.

Illegal Market Crackdown

Casinos were also reminded that the regulator is devoting significant resources to tackling unlicensed operators. Since April, the Commission has:
    •    Issued 344 Cease and Desists
    •    Reported 45,674 URLs to search engines, with 30,605 removed
    •    Disrupted 235 websites, forcing takedowns or geo-blocks

“This level of activity is of course resource intensive but it is delivering results,” Miller said.

 An Independent Consultant's View

Independent iGaming Marketing consultant Mark McGuiness of iGaming Gen Ai told Casinos.com: 

“I have witnessed many changes in my 20+ years in land-based and online gambling.

"Regulation is an important framework in any business vertical and should be both strategic and balanced."

"The recent developments, however show a significant shift and hardening towards gambling of which the vast majority of consumers that participate in gambling do so responsibly as a form of free will entertainment.

"The introductions do require more details as again for the majority of responsible consumers, their is now more added friction to their experience and perhaps intrusions into how they choose to spend their leisure expenditure and time."
 

Enforcement Will Continue

In his speech Miller stressed that licensed operators should expect robust oversight.

“Already this year we have suspended licences, forced non-compliant operators out of the market… and issued both financial and other penalties. We are taking more action to hold Personal Management Licence holders accountable… We have deployed our powers as a prosecuting authority perhaps more than at any other time in our history.”

Casinos Must Step Up

For the casino sector, the message was clear: adapt quickly, meet standards, and focus on delivery.

Miller concluded with a pointed reminder:

“Do not allow a drive for future reforms to be at the expense of effective delivery and measurement of current reforms, because it is delivery, not further policy papers, that will actually protect consumers.”