UK gambling regulator weighs allowing crypto payments for online betting

Any rollout would still require strict affordability and suitability checks, and crypto activity would need FCA authorization, Gambling Commission executive Tim Miller said.

The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission is exploring how cryptocurrency could be used for payments at licensed online casinos, as the country prepares to bring more crypto activity under a new regulatory regime led by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Tim Miller, the commission’s executive director for research and policy, said Thursday that the regulator wants to examine “the potential path forward” for allowing “cryptoasset to be used as a consumer payment option for licensed and regulated gambling in Great Britain.” Miller made the remarks at the Betting and Gaming Council’s annual general meeting in London, according to his published speech.

Companies carrying out regulated crypto activities will require authorization by the FCA under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) when the new regime commences, Miller said.

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