British Gambling Commission to target illegal land-based gambling for “first time in a serious way”
The regulator says new funding will allow it to invest in addressing land-based illegal gambling.
UK.- The British Gambling Commission has revealed plans to tighten enforcement efforts against gaming machines and crack down on illegal land-based gambling. Speaking at the Bingo Association’s annual general meeting, acting chief executive Sarah Gardner said the regulator would work with operators while taking a firm stance on enforcement.
Commenting on the Gambling Commission’s freshly secured £26m in additional government funding over the next three years to strengthen its fight against illegal gambling, Gardner said the funds would allow the regulator to put a new focus on illegal land-based gambling. That will include more collaboration with law enforcement.
“This funding will allow us to invest, arguably for the first time in a serious way, in addressing land-based illegal gambling,” Gardner said.
The regulator is currently seeking a candidate for the newly created senior position of Gambling Commission’s Head of Illegal Markets. This appointee will spearhead investigations and enforcement actions against unlicensed operators and work within the Operations Directorate with a remit to coordinate resources across Enforcement and Intelligence, while collaborating with the Illegal Markets team, Sports Betting Integrity Unit and departments covering Legal, Policy, Strategy, and Communications.
Gardner also confirmed that from July 29, operators must remove any gaming machines immediately if the regulator determines they lack the proper licence or fail to meet technical standards. The measure is designed to “streamline processes and ensure non-compliant machines are swiftly removed from premises,” she said. A full consultation response is expected later this summer.
Collaboration with the bingo sector
Gardner praised recent collaboration with the bingo sector, including a recent refinement of national gambling statistics. Operators had previously questioned the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) figures on bingo players. In response, the Gambling Commission introduced a new survey question to better identify where bingo is played. The adjustment narrowed the gap between GSGB estimates and admissions-based data, revealing that many of those who said they played bingo did so at private gatherings rather than bingo halls.
Revised figures showed that while 3.3 per cent of adults played bingo in 2024, only 1.2 per cent attended clubs, which is more closely aligned with the Bingo Association’s own figure of 1 per cent. Gardner highlighted that survey findings also reinforced “the social nature of bingo” as a key driver of in-person play.
The Commission’s latest Industry Statistics reported that bingo generated £816m in Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) for 2024/25, around 5 per cent of the UK gambling market’s £16.8bn total. Of this, £650m came from land-based bingo and £166m from online play. Two-thirds of the land-based GGY was attributed to gaming machines, with bingo games contributing 35 per cent.
Gardner paid tribute to outgoing Bingo Association chief executive Miles Baron for his decade of engagement and welcomed Nicole Garrett as his successor. She closed her remarks by reaffirming the regulator’s commitment to partnership with the Bingo Association and compliant operators, stressing the shared goal of “safer, fairer and crime-free gambling.”
