UKGC disruption tactics: consequences and costs
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is waging a difficult war on the illegal gambling market, and the only real weapon in its arsenal is disruption. The Commission is in the process of expanding its disruption tactics, but this is a costly process with limited efficacy.
Background
Numerous reports have shed light on the prevalence of the black market, and the UKGC appears to have at last turned its attention to the issue.
While the situation in Britain isn’t as bad as in The Netherlands or Germany, these countries show what can happen when these problems are poorly managed.
In its efforts to fight back, the UKGC has employed disruption tactics, which essentially involves taking down large numbers of websites and removing them from search results.
Uphill battle
However, illegal operators face little or no legal recourse, and can easily resurrect their platforms.
Recent efforts
In October 2025, the UKGC published a summary of its disruption efforts for the previous year.
It issued 3,140 Cease and Desist notices. However, there are no published details, as yet, of further legal action against those who received notices.
The commission referred 447,778 URLs to Google and Bing, resulting in 287,961 URLs being removed – although this actually equated to just over 600 different websites.
Increased disruption
It has also significantly ramped up disruption over the past few years, especially in terms of the number of URL referrals.
Through these methods, the UKGC has disrupted large numbers of sites, which is a commendable – if unsustainable – effort.
While the regulator hasn’t published details on the actual costs and resources involved, these are likely to be significant, especially when considering that they amount to little more than a temporary fix.
Tooling up for a fight
The UKGC has recently announced new disruption tactics. The regulator appears to be aware that changes need to be made, and some of these are already in the pipeline.
International cooperation
Given that so many black market operators are based overseas, out of the Commission’s reach, international cooperation is key.
The UKGC has announced plans to bolster its international efforts, including joining forces with other regulators to take legal action against offending operators.
These new tactics include the “creation and leadership of the International Association of Gaming Regulators”. The IAGR should enable regulators to work together to address illegal operators.
Even so, some illegal sites are based in countries that are out of regulators’ diplomatic reach, and some aren’t registered anywhere. It’s hard to see how the UKGC’s new plans will affect these sites.
Social media
A recent report found that a significant number of players were directed to illegal sites by social media. The Commission has announced that it is expanding “efforts to include social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, and YouTube”.
However, the vastness of these platforms makes them difficult to police, so it remains to be seen how effective these efforts will be. The wellbeing of the industry and its players is on the line, so the UKGC must handle social media platforms firmly, and be held accountable.
Illegal gamblers
A case could be made for a more proactive approach when it comes to handling players. We’ve recently learned that many players aren’t even aware when they’re on illegal sites. This suggests that education could be an effective tool, empowering players to look after their own interests.
But there are still many who intentionally use illegal sites, and the Commission hasn’t shown any sign of addressing this side of the problem. Perhaps repeat offenders could be more effectively dissuaded. This wouldn’t need to be heavy-handed, and could simply involve, as a first line of defence, warning players that they’re in violation of the law.
Payment blocking
The Commission’s efforts already include pressuring payment method providers to block transactions involving known illegal platforms. But, until recently, the Commission has focused solely on Visa and Mastercard.
While these are two of the most popular payment methods, this seems like a big oversight. The UKGC is now expanding its efforts to incorporate e-wallets, but this doesn’t address the issue of cryptocurrencies…
The crypto situation
The Commission has acknowledged that “cryptocurrency payments in the illegal market is an area that must be considered in the Commission’s disruption work”.
In a recent speech, Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the UKGC, recently commented that:
“What I thought was a five year away problem, perhaps a year or two ago, I think is now [an] 18 months to two years challenge.” In another, he said “It's difficult to see how we would licence those who are offering crypto."
Tricky
It is virtually impossible to tax a decentralised payment system, and the Commission clearly has its work cut out for it. As Rhodes acknowledges, this is “a government level decision because once you open that door, you cannot close it”.
The UKGC must form a proactive plan and work with the government to ensure that crypto payments don’t become the norm amongst players. If it doesn’t act quickly enough, this issue will cause irreparable damage to the legitimate industry.
Reshaping the legal market
The reality is that many players simply don’t care. Part of the issue is that the legitimate market is struggling to provide a competitive service, so it’s no surprise that illegal platforms appeal to many.
No matter how many sites the UKGC manages to remove from search results, there will always be another to take its place. As one is taken down, players will simply flock to the next. For this reason, the UKGC’s disruption tactics have very limited efficacy.
One approach that the Commission could take to boost the appeal of the legitimate market would be to make adjustments to some of its new, stricter regulations, such as stake limits and affordability checks. These are intended to protect players, but have the effect of clipping the wings of legal operators.
Summary
The UKGC is focused on certain disruption tactics, but some of its efforts feel a bit like fighting the tide. Disruption is a short-term solution, and the illegal market is resilient.
The Commission has announced new tactics, which address some – but not all – of the gaps in its methodology. It must consider where resources can best be spent for long-term results.
The UKGC must adapt quickly before the situation worsens, and this may mean revising some of its more contentious player restrictions.