The Gambling Commission (GC) has said between April and August it sent 344 cease-and-desist letters to illegal operators and advertisers promoting unlicensed firms.
Speaking at the Peers for Gambling Reform Gambling Summit yesterday, 3 September, GC executive director Tim Miller laid out the latest enforcement action.
From the start of April through to early August, Miller said that alongside the cease-and-desist letters, the regulator had referred 466 websites to search engines for their delisting.
The authority has also “disrupted” 235 websites, either by having them taken down or geo-blocked for consumers in Britain.
Additionally, the GC has reported 45,674 URLs to various search engines and seen 30,605 URLs removed as a result.
Miller hailed the GC’s efforts as the body “significantly ramping up action against the illegal market”, although he conceded this level of activity was “resource intensive”.
Miller added that black market firms were targeting consumers that have “experienced gambling harm, especially those that have self-excluded”, as a “key part” of its customer base.
In a speech delivered last October, GC CEO Andrew Rhodes said that between April and October 2024, the regulator had handed out 750 cease-and-desist letters.
During that time period, 78,000 URLs were also referred to Google, resulting in around 50,000 being removed.
As per a report from boutique analyst firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG), published last October, the UK black market could be worth as much as £1.5bn.
Miller also laid out how the GC has ramped up its enforcement action against licensed operators for non-compliance.
Since April, the GC has announced regulatory settlements with tombola, evoke, ProgressPlay, Grace Media, Fafabet, TGP Europe and Spreadex.
Miller added: “You can also expect us to continue our work to achieve compliance at the earliest opportunity from licenced gambling businesses. And where we find failings, we will continue to take appropriate action.
“Already this year we have suspended licences, forced non-compliant operators out of the market through our enforcement activity and issued both financial and other penalties.
“We are taking more action to hold personal management licence holders accountable for the actions of their businesses. We have deployed our powers as a prosecuting authority perhaps more than at any other time in our history.
“On top of this, we continue to ratchet up the pressure on those who look to offer illegal gambling at scale in Great Britain.”
The post Gambling Commission steps up fight against black market with 344 cease-and-desist letters first appeared on EGR Intel.
British regulator also reveals 235 sites have been taken down or geo-blocked since April, in a “ramping up” of action against unlicensed operators
The post Gambling Commission steps up fight against black market with 344 cease-and-desist letters first appeared on EGR Intel.