BGC criticises Channel 4's gambling show

The UK industry body Betting and Gaming Council has argued that Channel 4's Million Pound Shot gave a misleading picture of safeguards in the sector. Presented by Bradley Walsh and broadcast on 1 November, the programme appeared to show contestants risking their own money. It later emerged that the contestants were players.

The BGC criticised the programme on credit card use, customer warning signs and gaming sounds. It discussed a fictional contestant continuing to gamble on a credit card, pointing to the UK credit card ban that came into force in 2020. According to the body, financial difficulties such as unemployment and having little money are warning signs that a licensed operator should respond to. It also argued that a sound celebrating a loss as if it were a win does not differ from a short sound announcing the result.

The regulator said that this distinction was not a finding about the example shown in the programme. In October 2025, the Gambling Commission fined Petfre Gibraltar. Some of the company's online slots celebrated losses as if they were wins, while others did not show the net position. The operator removed the games in question immediately.

The BGC said operators should monitor customer behaviour and take steps such as restrictions or account suspension when necessary. It added that increased spending should not be treated as harm without evidence. In the programme, campaigners said the fictional contest had been designed to show techniques that could keep players gambling. The BGC said it had given the programme's producers a detailed response before broadcast and was continuing to review the claims.