Financial forecast
Our budget for 2026 to 2027
At the time of publication, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) consultation on our gambling regulation fees funding was still out for consultation. Given the uncertainty this presents in our gambling regulation budget as well as the increased in other funding streams we have set our budget, at least initially, based on affordability.
Our financial framework documents reflect the principles set out within Managing Public Money and to ensure that we comply with accounting standards as set out in HM Treasury’s Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) and our Framework Document with DCMS.
For Gambling regulation, we are budgeting to receive a total income of £30.4 million of which £29.9 million is fees charged to gambling operators. Total expenditure is budgeted at £31.3 million. This is in excess of our income, and as such we will be utilising £0.9 million from our Reserves.
For the National Lottery, we are budgeting to receive £17.3 million Grant in Aid and budgeted expenditure is £17.3 million.
As announced in the Budget in November 2025, the Commission will receive funding of £26 million over the next 3 years, for work on Illegal Markets. The funding starts from April 2026, and is profiled across the years as follows: £7 million 2026 to 2027, £9 million 2027 to 2028 and £10 million 2028 to 2029.
The Statutory Levy research budget for the Commission in 2026 to 2027 is £2.8 million, which is funded from the Statutory Levy.
Budget
| Budget (£ millions) | Gambling regulation | National Lottery | Statutory Levy (Gambling Commission research) | Illegal markets | Commission Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee income | 29.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 29.9 |
| Other income | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| Grant in Aid income from DCMS | 0.0 | 17.3 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 24.3 |
| Total income | 30.4 | 17.3 | 2.8 | 7.0 | 57.5 |
| Operating expenditure | 31.3 | 17.3 | 2.8 | 7.0 | 58.4 |
| Drawdown from reserves (subject to HM Treasury approval) | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
Gambling regulation, National Lottery, Statutory Levy and illegal markets refer to income streams for The Commission.
Annual fee income by sector
| Sector | Amount (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Betting | 31.8% |
| Casino | 31.3% |
| Software | 16.1% |
| Bingo | 4.2% |
| Lottery | 6.4% |
| Machines | 5.5% |
| Arcades | 4.7% |
Annual fee income by remote and non-remote split
| Remote and/or non-remote income | Amount (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Remote | 70% |
| Non-remote | 30% |
Corporate enablers
Last updated: 21 April 2026
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