What Are Affordability Checks in Online Gambling?
Affordability checks — officially 'financial vulnerability checks' — are light-touch checks UK operators must run once your net deposits pass £150 in a rolling 30 days. They use public-record data (bankruptcies, CCJs, IVAs) and are designed to be invisible to most players. Heavier 'financial risk assessments' are still being piloted.
🔑 Key takeaways
- Light-touch financial vulnerability checks are required above £150 net deposits per rolling 30 days (since 28 Feb 2025).
- 'Net deposits' means deposits minus withdrawals — not a single deposit.
- Checks use public records only: bankruptcy, CCJs, IVAs, DROs.
- They're meant to be frictionless — most players never notice them.
- Enhanced 'financial risk assessments' (loss-based triggers) are still in pilot, not mandatory.
📑 On this page
Affordability checks are one of the most debated topics in UK gambling. The official language has shifted to “financial vulnerability checks” and “financial risk assessments”, but players still call them all affordability checks.
The light-touch vulnerability check
The idea is simple: if a customer is depositing enough to suggest possible harm, the operator may need to check for signs of serious financial vulnerability. Under UKGC Social Responsibility Code 3.4.4, operators must run this check when a customer passes the threshold. It applied at more than £500 net deposits in a rolling 30-day period from 30 August 2024, then dropped to more than £150 net deposits from 28 February 2025. “Net deposits” means deposits minus withdrawals — not a single payment.
What’s actually checked
The minimum is a public-record check for significant indicators of financial vulnerability — bankruptcy, County Court Judgments, IVAs, administration orders or Debt Relief Orders. The operator then considers that alongside what it already knows and takes proportionate action only if risk is identified. The UKGC estimates checks touch around 20% of active accounts, but they’re designed to be frictionless and invisible to the vast majority.
Why it feels bigger than it is
A customer who deposits £300, withdraws £200, then deposits £100 within 30 days has £200 net — over the threshold — but that doesn’t mean an account closure or a demand for payslips. Heavier “financial risk assessments” with loss-based triggers (around £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days) remain in pilot and are not yet mandatory. Keeping your own records helps if questions ever arise, and a failed deposit may instead be a bank gambling block.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
At what point is a check triggered? +
When your deposits minus withdrawals exceed £150 in a rolling 30-day period — the threshold lowered from £500 on 28 February 2025.
Will I have to send payslips? +
Usually not. The light-touch check uses public-record data and is designed to be invisible. Document requests belong to the heavier assessments, which aren't yet mandatory.
Does passing a check last? +
Yes — once you pass, the check is generally valid for around 12 months, so you won't be re-checked each time you cross the threshold.