UK Gambling Commission Opens Exploration of Crypto Payment Route for Licensed Operators, February 2026

On 26 February 2026, UK Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller announced at the Betting and Gaming Council Annual General Meeting that the Commission has initiated a review to examine whether a regulated path could be created for cryptoassets as a consumer payment option for licensed gambling operators in Great Britain. The announcement is pre-consultation; the Commission has not issued a formal consultation paper or proposed any amendment to its licence conditions.

The Commission's authority to impose licence conditions derives from the Gambling Act 2005. Any requirement that licensed operators accept or refuse specific payment methods would need to be introduced as an amendment to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice issued under that Act, following a formal public consultation. Miller's speech also referenced the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025, laid before Parliament in December 2025, which are expected to bring cryptoasset payment firms within FCA authorisation requirements by 25 October 2027. The Commission indicated it treats that incoming FCA regime as a prerequisite for any licensed gambling operator accepting cryptoasset payments.

For cryptoasset businesses, licensed gambling operators, and payment service providers operating in Great Britain, the announcement signals that the Commission has placed this question on its regulatory agenda. The Commission asked its Industry Forum to consider how to progress the question of cryptoasset payments in line with the licensing objectives set out in section 1 of the Gambling Act 2005. Businesses seeking to offer cryptoasset payment rails to gambling operators will need FCA authorisation under the incoming cryptoasset regime before the Commission is likely to permit their use.

No timeline has been set for any formal consultation or rule change. As of 13 March 2026, no consultation paper is open. Any eventual licence condition permitting cryptoasset payments would also need to satisfy obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, as well as the forthcoming FCA cryptoasset authorisation rules.

Source: UK Gambling Commission, "BGC AGM 2026 — Tim Miller speech," 26 February 2026. URL: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news/article/bgc-agm-2026-tim-miller-speech. Confirmed 13 March 2026.

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