UK Gambling Commission widens crackdown on illegal operators
The regulator says enforcement will increasingly target payments, advertising and other services used by unlicensed gambling businesses.
Key takeaways
- The UK Gambling Commission has warned it will target the wider business models and revenue streams supporting illegal gambling operators.
- The regulator has issued more than 1,000 cease-and-desist notices during the 2026/27 financial year.
- It has referred 7.8 million URLs to search engines, contributing to the removal of three million URLs from search results.
- More than £40m of suspected criminal funds has been referred to partner agencies for potential asset-freezing action since January.
- The Commission plans to disrupt illegal operators through payment restrictions, advertising interventions and access to gambling products.
The UK Gambling Commission has outlined an expanded enforcement strategy against illegal gambling operators that extends beyond shutting down websites. The regulator says it will increasingly target the payments, advertising channels and other commercial infrastructure that support unlicensed businesses, while highlighting actions already taken against illegal gambling activity. The announcement comes during Illegal Gambling Awareness Week as concerns about black market gambling continue to attract attention across the sector.
UK.- The Gambling Commission has warned illegal gambling operators that it intends to target not only unlicensed websites but also the wider businesses and revenue streams that support them. The regulator made the statement to coincide with the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week amid criticism that progress against unlicensed operators has been too slow.
The regulator also noted that it has already issued more than 1,000 cease-and-desist notices during the 2026/27 financial year. Meanwhile, it reported referring 7.8 million URLs to search engines, contributing to the removal of three million URLs from search results and referring 2,200 websites for disruption action.
Concerns over black market activity have been repeatedly raised by industry organisations and executives in recent months. Bodies including the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), alongside figures such as Entain chief executive Stella David, have highlighted what they view as the growing use of unlicensed gambling platforms. The BGC has claimed that wagers placed with illegal operators during the 2027/28 Premier League season could exceed £1bn.
Against that backdrop, Gambling Commission Executive Director of Operations Sue Young outlined an enforcement strategy aimed at disrupting the operations of illegal businesses rather than focusing solely on website removals.
“We’ve already shown we can take down and disrupt individual websites and now we’re going further,” Young said. “That means us interfering with illegal operators’ whole business models, disrupting their payments, hindering their advertising and stopping them from obtaining the games and sportsbooks they so heavily rely on.
“Since January we have already referred over £40 million of suspected criminal funds to partner agencies for potential asset-freezing as well as continuing to work with law enforcement agencies to seize cash at illegal land-based gambling operations. By widening the net and focusing beyond removing websites our mission is to hit illegal operators on all sides. If you run an illegal gambling operation, we are coming after you, your business and your money.”
Young’s references to payment disruption and advertising restrictions reflect measures that many industry stakeholders have argued are essential to tackling illegal gambling. Pressure has grown for regulators and governments to work more closely with payment service providers to prevent consumers from funding accounts with unlicensed operators. At the same time, social media platforms have come under increasing scrutiny due to their role in promoting and advertising gambling websites.
Some jurisdictions, including Finland and the Philippines, have begun exploring closer cooperation with technology companies, while regulators and trade bodies in other markets continue to encounter resistance. In the Netherlands, trade association VNLOK has taken legal action against Meta over gambling-related concerns.
Alongside the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce, the latest announcement suggests both the regulator and government are seeking to strengthen their response to the risks posed by unlicensed gambling operators. The Gambling Commission has also recently introduced its Illegal Gambling Index, which is intended to provide a more reliable way of measuring consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites. Initial findings suggesting that use of the unlicensed market remains relatively limited but concentrated among certain groups of online gamblers.
FAQs
What new approach is the UK Gambling Commission taking against illegal gambling?
The Commission says it will go beyond removing websites and focus on disrupting illegal operators’ business models, including payments, advertising and access to gambling products and services.
How many enforcement actions has the Gambling Commission taken against illegal operators?
The regulator said it has issued more than 1,000 cease-and-desist notices during the 2026/27 financial year and referred 2,200 websites for disruption action.
How many illegal gambling URLs have been removed from search results?
According to the Commission, 7.8 million URLs have been referred to search engines, contributing to the removal of three million URLs from search results.
What has the Commission said about suspected criminal funds linked to illegal gambling?
Executive Director of Operations Sue Young said that since January more than £40m of suspected criminal funds has been referred to partner agencies for potential asset-freezing action.
Why are payment providers part of the discussion around illegal gambling?
Industry stakeholders, investigators and campaigners have argued that disrupting payment processing is an important tool in limiting access to unlicensed gambling services and reducing their ability to operate.
