UKGC puts player protection at the centre of Allwyn’s Lottery growth

The Gambling Commission expects Allwyn to demonstrate strong player protection as it expands the National Lottery’s products. Acting chief executive Sarah Gardner set out that expectation at the operator’s participant protection conference on 1 October, welcoming progress while warning against complacency. [1]

Gardner’s message was that the Lottery’s relatively low risk does not remove its responsibility to protect customers. Its broad reach and public standing bring greater scrutiny, she said. The regulator wants Allwyn to show best practice rather than rely on the Lottery’s reputation as a safer form of gambling. [1]

Growth sits alongside licence obligations

That expectation sits within a licence structure already governing Allwyn’s business. The operator holds the ten-year National Lottery licence running from February 2024 to January 2034. The main operating licence sets its obligations and outcomes, while separate game licences cover individual games or classes of games. [2]

Recent approvals show how product expansion and protection are being considered together. The Commission authorised a UK Powerball game through a new Section 6 licence effective from 21 July 2026. It also varied the scratchcard licence on 27 July to permit a £10 pilot beginning in September, with controls during the trial and a process for assessing it afterwards. [2]

For the scratchcard pilot, the regulator said risks could be managed through safeguards, monitoring and evaluation. It expects Allwyn to watch for harm and ensure the games do not encourage excessive play. The permission is therefore a monitored pilot; its commercial performance is only one part of the assessment. [2]

What Allwyn says it has changed

Allwyn’s conference announcement describes a £50 first-deposit limit for new online customers and an enhanced intervention programme for customers potentially at risk. It also points to retail mystery shopping and knowledge checks through Operation Guardian, the ten-scratchcard purchase limit introduced in 2024, and an expanded responsible-play website. These are the operator’s descriptions of its measures, rather than independently measured findings about their effectiveness. [3]

The retail controls also feature in Allwyn’s August announcement of its £10 scratchcard. The operator said the initial rollout would cover selected stores, with four £4 million top prizes and 60p retailer commission per card. Its preparations included face-to-face retailer visits, responsible-retailing communications and reminders of the ten-card limit per customer visit. That puts the sales proposition and the protective controls in the same launch programme. [4]

The test is delivery

The Commission’s published 2026–27 plan commits it to obtaining assurance that Allwyn is meeting licence outcomes, processing applications and maintaining oversight of operator performance. For suppliers and retailers working with the Lottery, that makes the delivery of controls relevant alongside the introduction of new products. [5]

Gardner’s published remarks recognise progress in Allwyn’s online and app protections but also acknowledge difficulties during the changes. The practical question is how those protections perform as the product range develops. Her speech reinforces an existing regulatory expectation; it does not itself announce a new fine, licence restriction or product ban. [1]

Sources

• [1] Gambling Commission: Sarah Gardner: Allwyn Participant Protection Conference
• [2] Gambling Commission: National Lottery licence and 2026 game decisions
• [3] Allwyn UK: Allwyn’s second Participant Protection Conference
• [4] Allwyn UK: Allwyn announces £10 scratchcard pilot
• [5] Gambling Commission: National Lottery regulatory priorities, 2026–27