Gambling Commission Begins ‘Tentative First Step’ Towards Licensed Crypto Use
Speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council AGM, Executive Director Tim Miller described the move as a “tentative first step”, revealing he has asked the Commission’s Industry Forum “to look at how they think this could be progressed sensibly and in line with the licensing objectives”.
A senior executive at the Gambling Commission has confirmed the regulator is taking an initial look at how licensed operators could offer cryptocurrency as a payment method.
Speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council AGM, Executive Director Tim Miller described the move as a “tentative first step”, revealing he has asked the Commission’s Industry Forum “to look at how they think this could be progressed sensibly and in line with the licensing objectives”.
Miller said the forthcoming regulation of cryptoassets, alongside a “growing appetite from punters” to use crypto for gambling, had prompted the shift in approach.
The UK’s new cryptoasset regime is expected to come into force in October 2027, enabling firms to seek accreditation from the Financial Conduct Authority to use cryptoassets.
The framework forms part of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025, introduced to Parliament in December 2025.
Miller added that the Gambling Commission’s expanded research into the British illegal market indicates that “demand exists” for crypto gambling options.
“Our illegal markets research also gives us evidence that crypto is one of the two biggest searches that lead British gamblers to illegal sites,” he told the AGM.
“There will be significant challenges and risks to overcome in considering this topic, but I am keen that we approach this in the spirit of exploring the art of the possible rather than starting from a position of finding all the reasons not to innovate.”
