The UK Gambling Commission is investigating the possibility of allowing crypto payments for licensed betting operators, as part of a wider push for regulations to help combat illegal markets and promote innovation.
Chief executive Tim Miller said the regulator wants to explore 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 crypto-related searches are driving some players to unlicensed sites.
The Gambling Commission’s announcement comes after the UK government tabled the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025 to Parliament in December. If approved, the rules will bring cryptoassets under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) mandate, with a new regulatory regime expected to come into effect in October 2027.
Miller said the Commission’s research shows that crypto is “one of the two biggest searches” that lead UK players to illegal operators. Increasing consumer interest in digital assets, combined with these search patterns, has prompted the regulator to begin exploratory work.
The commission has asked its industry forum to examine how crypto payments can be introduced in line with its licensing objectives, including anti-money laundering controls and consumer protection.
“There will be significant challenges and risks to overcome,” Miller said, adding that the commission intends to approach the problem by “exploring the art of the possible” rather than rejecting innovation outright.
The proposal is partly designed as a response to the illegal market. The Commission has increased enforcement activity in recent years and secured additional financial funding to strengthen efforts against unlicensed operators. Allowing regulated operators to accept crypto could help keep consumers within the licensed system instead of pushing them toward offshore locations, Miller said.
Miller stressed that allowing crypto payments would not be tantamount to approving offshore crypto casinos to operate in the UK Any operator would still have to meet strict suitability, compliance and know-your-customer standards under existing gaming rules, along with upcoming FCA requirements, he added.
