The UK Gambling Commission is exploring allowing crypto payments for licensed betting operators, as part of a wider push for regulations to help combat illegal markets and encourage innovation.
Chief executive Tim Miller said the regulator wants to examine a “potential way forward” for crypto payments in the UK, at the Betting and Gaming Council’s Annual General Meeting. Miller cited growing consumer demand and evidence that cryptocurrency-related searches are leading some players to unlicensed sites.
The gambling commission’s announcement comes after the UK government introduced the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Crypto Assets) Regulations 2025 to Parliament in December. If approved, the rules would place crypto assets under the mandate of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with a new regulatory regime expected to come into force in October 2027.
Miller said the Commission’s investigation shows that cryptocurrencies are “one of the two biggest searches” driving British players to illegal operators. Growing consumer interest in digital assets, combined with those search patterns, has led the regulator to begin exploratory work.
The Commission has asked its Industry Forum to examine how crypto payments could be introduced in line with its licensing objectives, including anti-money laundering controls and consumer protection safeguards.
“There will be significant challenges and risks to overcome,” Miller said, adding that the Commission intends to address the issue by “exploring the art of the possible” rather than dismissing innovation entirely.
The proposal is formulated in part as a response to the illegal market. The Commission has increased enforcement activity in recent years and has secured additional funding from the Treasury to strengthen efforts against unlicensed operators. Allowing regulated operators to accept cryptocurrency could help keep consumers within the licensed system rather than pushing them offshore, Miller said.
Miller emphasized that allowing crypto payments would not be the same as approving offshore crypto casinos to operate in the UK. Any operator would still need to meet strict suitability, compliance and know-your-customer standards under the existing rules of the game, along with upcoming FCA requirements, he added.
