Sarah Gardner Opens Up On Her UKGC Future And Provides FRA Insights

Sarah Gardner has offered some fascinating insights into her United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) career and tackled the controversial financial risk assessments policy (FRAs).

In a wide-ranging interview with iGB sister publication, GGB Magazine, Gardner, who is currently functioning as the UKGC’s interim CEO, was frank in her opinions. And she has conceded the UKGC has a rather “thankless” task of trying to keep the betting industry happy, especially with spearheading regulatory developments.

Doing the rounds with the UKGC

Over the past year, the UKGC has undergone a bit of a reshuffle at board level. In February, Andrew Rhodes confirmed he would be stepping down as CEO, leaving the body with a void to fill. Gardner has been the acting CEO ever since as the UKGC continues its search to find a replacement.

More recently, Sarah Fox was appointed by the Commission to head the regulator’s Policy and Research and Statistics functions, mirroring the duties of Tim Miller, who revealed he will be vacating his role in September. But amid all the changes at senior level, Gardner has remained a near-constant presence.

Gardner first joined the Commission in 2009, and she has held a number of prominent positions during her time there, including Deputy CEO. She jovially quipped she’s a “Commission lifer” as there are always new hurdles to embrace, and she conceded she has found it “quite difficult” to leave the body.

A creative approach to regulation

There is no denying that the UKGC has been hampered by challenges, particularly in relation to the 2023 white paper and the Gambling Act 2005 recommendations outlined, which have caused significant political backlash. While acknowledging handling regulation is often perceived as a “thankless” task, Gardner is best qualified to give her thoughts on the matter.

Moreover, Gardner insists a more lateral approach to regulation is one she feels is more likely to pay off. Explaining her mindset, Gardner said: “Someone once described it to me as gambling regulation is utterly seductive.

“And I’m not sure I get that far, but it certainly keeps you interested. The approach I’m trying to foster more at the Commission [is to be] more creative and not always reach for the blunt instrument.”

Shining a light on FRAs

There has been plenty of pushback in relation to financial risk assessments (FRAs). Following a pilot in 2025, which flagged high spending players for additional credit checks, tier one operators have been advised to closely monitor those bettors who are gambling more than £5,000 within a rolling 24-hour period.

The UKGC initially delayed an update on the measure before announcing last month the policy would be rolled on a phased basis, leaving many within the horseracing industry up in arms. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) attested they weren’t consulted over the policy, even though Gardner referenced nine occasions when the racing industry met with the Commission.

Although FRAs have been a bone of contention, Gardner leapt to its defence, adding:

“What we’re currently do on financial risk assessments, controversial though that is, is a really good example of striking a balance [between player enjoyment and consumer protection] because that is about finding a more sophisticated way than currently exists to hone in on the consumers who actually need the support.

“So you don’t have to ask a much larger sample of consumers for [additional] documents, which strikes me as frankly too intrusive for what’s meant to be a leisure activity.”