The UK Gambling Commission is ramping up its efforts to tackle the growing issue of unlicensed and illegal betting sites.
Between August 2021 and September 2024, traffic to these black market sites has skyrocketed by 522%, while traffic to licensed, regulated betting platforms has grown by only 49% in the same period.
In response, the Gambling Commission has issued 770 cease-and-desist orders to combat these illegal operators, alongside referring over 102,000 URLs to Google.
This has led to 64,000 sites being removed and 264 websites being shut down.
The increased prevalence of unlicensed sites has been concerning, especially with such a large number of people unknowingly accessing unsafe platforms.
The Gambling Commission is targeting upstream service providers such as hosts and payment processors to curb the issue at its source.
There is also mounting pressure on the government, with some MPs like Louie French urging stronger enforcement to protect consumers and maintain fairness in the market.
The UK Gambling Commission’s efforts are expected to continue as they look to crack down further on these black-market gambling operations.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is a regulatory authority responsible for overseeing all forms of gambling in Great Britain.
Its main role is to ensure that gambling is fair, safe, and transparent for consumers while preventing harm and criminal activity. The UKGC is part of the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Key Responsibilities:
Licensing and Regulation: The Commission licenses operators and ensures they comply with strict regulations to operate legally in the UK. This includes land-based and online gambling providers.
Consumer Protection: The UKGC works to ensure that consumers are protected from unfair practices, ensuring operators offer a safe environment and transparent terms. They also manage disputes between consumers and operators.
Promoting Fairness: The Commission enforces rules to ensure games are fair, betting odds are transparent, and operators are held accountable for their conduct.
Responsible Gambling: The UKGC has a strong focus on encouraging responsible gambling practices. They work with operators to ensure proper safeguards are in place to prevent underage gambling and reduce gambling addiction.
Combatting Illegal Gambling: The Commission is actively working to crack down on illegal or unlicensed betting sites, which have been growing significantly in recent years. They monitor illegal gambling activity and take enforcement actions against unregulated operators.
Problem Gambling Initiatives: The UKGC also oversees initiatives like GamStop, a self-exclusion program to help individuals manage gambling addiction.
The Commission regularly updates policies to adapt to new gambling trends, including the rise of online betting and the growing role of technology in gambling. You can play online casino in UK using best casino sites that are legal and are licensed.
If you’d like to know more, you can explore their official website or recent reports on their ongoing efforts to regulate gambling in the UK.