The Gambling Commission has called on licensed operators and their commercial partners to take a more active role in tackling illegal gambling, warning that parts of the wider supply chain risk undermining regulatory efforts.
The message was delivered by Executive Director Tim Miller during a keynote speech at ICE Barcelona on 19 January 2026.
Miller outlined the Commission’s recent work to better understand and disrupt the illegal gambling market, referencing a series of reports published in autumn 2025. Based on 12 months of data, the research found that motivations for using unlicensed sites are varied, with a significant proportion of users already self-excluded from licensed gambling, alongside others seeking better bonuses, cryptocurrency options or landing on illegal sites unintentionally.
The Commission also detailed enforcement activity undertaken between April and December 2025, including the issuance of 592 cease-and-desist notices, the referral of more than 327,000 URLs to search engines and the disruption or blocking of 627 websites.
Miller noted that this activity has been supported by additional measures that cannot be disclosed publicly.
Beyond enforcement, the speech focused on the role of suppliers, affiliates, advertisers and technology platforms that serve both licensed and unlicensed operators. Miller argued that the dividing line between regulated and illegal gambling is being blurred by third parties that continue to work across both markets.
He urged licensed operators to apply greater scrutiny to their commercial relationships, including enhanced due diligence and contractual controls.
The Executive Director also singled out Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, for criticism regarding advertisements for illegal gambling sites appearing on its platforms. Miller highlighted that ads for "not on GamStop" sites – targeting self-excluded consumers – are readily discoverable through Meta's own searchable ad library, yet the company requires regulators to proactively report violations rather than removing them automatically.
Miller described this approach as effectively creating "a window into criminality" and questioned whether Meta prioritises consumer protection or revenue from illegal advertisers.
Looking ahead, Miller confirmed that the Gambling Commission will receive £26m ($35m) in additional funding over three years to combat illegal gambling. He also referenced proposed powers in the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill that would allow the suspension of IP addresses and domain names linked to illegal operators, reinforcing the Commission’s longer-term strategy.
The speech follows the recent dismissal of a civil case against the Commission brought by former Entain executives Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman, who alleged misuse of private information.
The Crime and Policing Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, would allow UK authorities to block internet infrastructure linked to illegal gambling operations
