Member of Parliament for Lewisham North, Vicky Foxcroft, has been appointed as the newest Gambling Minister in the United Kingdom, replacing former Minister Baroness Fiona...
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.
