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UKGC operating costs increase by 49% reaching £60.3M
In its annual report published on January 7, 2026, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) disclosed that its operating costs for the year 2024-25 jumped from £40.4 million to £60.3 million, a 49% increase.
The cost increase was connected to legal fees for the litigation concerning the fourth National Lottery license competition, which reached £14.2 million from 2023-24’s £353,000.
From the total, £13.4 million was spent on defending claims from the unsuccessful bidder, The New Lottery Company. The lottery sued the commission, claiming it was lured into spending millions on a license tender that it never had a chance of winning.
The UKGC still had a surplus of £10.9 million in reserves, while total income from gambling regulation fees increased to £27.9 million from £26.2 million.
UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes said:
“The substantial work done in 2024-25 gives the Commission a great opportunity to make further steps forward in our work to make gambling safer, fairer, and crime-free. This is an opportunity everyone at the Commission is fully dedicated to making the most of in the year ahead.”
The report also showed that staff costs rose to £27.8 million from £24 million, with the commission employing 416 staff as of March 31, 2025.
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