Evolution has agreed a £4.75m ($6.4m) settlement with the Gambling Commission, bringing to a close an 18-month review into its UK operating licence after its gaming content was made available to British consumers through unlicensed gambling websites.
The regulator launched its Section 116 licence review in December 2024 after identifying Evolution games being accessed in the UK through operators that did not hold Gambling Commission licences.
At the time, the review carried a range of possible outcomes, including licence conditions, financial penalties, suspension or revocation.
According to Evolution, the settlement relates to two operators whose content appeared across six websites that breached the supplier's contractual terms by offering games to UK customers without a licence.
Evolution said the operators actively circumvented restrictions and that no broader pattern of unlicensed access to its content in the UK was identified during the review.
The supplier said it terminated its commercial relationships with both operators immediately after discovering the issue and has continued to strengthen its compliance controls, including introducing enhanced ring-fencing measures designed to prevent unauthorised access.
Evolution generates only a small proportion of its revenue from the UK, with the market accounting for around 3% of group revenue when the review was announced in 2024.
Nevertheless, the case has been closely watched because the UK remains one of the world's most tightly regulated gambling jurisdictions and suppliers are expected to ensure their products are available only through licensed operators.
The settlement also follows a series of regulatory actions by the Gambling Commission against both operators and suppliers in recent months, reflecting continued scrutiny of compliance controls, licensing obligations and access to unlicensed gambling products.
Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund said: "At Evolution, we always want to do what is right, and it is not acceptable that six unlicensed sites offered Evolution content in the regulated UK market."
Carlesund added: "We do not want traffic from unlicensed operators and will always move quickly to address any such situation."
In May, Evolution's Board approved a €2bn ($2.3bn) share buyback programme alongside a €300m revolving credit facility aimed at maintaining financial flexibility. At the time, the supplier also reported first-quarter revenue of €513m and cited regulatory volatility in Europe as one factor affecting regional performance.
Evolution said it will continue investing in technical safeguards to prevent unauthorised access, while acknowledging that third parties may still attempt to circumvent restrictions
