The Gambling Commission of Great Britain has significantly ramped up its efforts to disrupt black market operators, reporting a record number of illegal gambling websites referred to search engines in the latest quarter. As detailed in the third chapter of its ongoing research into illegal online gambling, the Commission has been actively running multiple initiatives aimed at dismantling these unlawful operations.
For the fourth quarter ending on 30 June, the Commission referred 321 websites to search engines for removal. This figure was nearly 200 more than in the previous quarter and more than double the numbers recorded in the first two quarters of the year. In conjunction with these efforts, the Commission also made 147 referrals to registrars or hosts and issued 145 cease-and-desist notices to illegal operators. Moreover, 77 such notices were sent out to advertisers promoting these illicit platforms.
The Commission reported tangible outcomes from these actions: 214 of the flagged websites were successfully removed from search engine listings, and 108 other sites were either geo-blocked or ring-fenced. Furthermore, 42 advertisements or affiliate links associated with black market sites were taken down, with an additional 22 suspended by registrars or hosts. Geo-blocking and registrar blocks have emerged as more effective tools in disrupting illegal operations, the Commission noted. While removing sites from search engines does make them harder to find, it doesn’t fully block access, hence the greater efficacy of geo-blocking, provided users aren’t circumventing these blocks with VPNs.
Since April 2024, the black market team has issued a total of 3,140 cease-and-desist notices. By the third quarter, cease-and-desist notices had reached 2,032, alongside 774 registrar referrals, 402 to website hosts, and three to payment providers. Since the previous April, 447,778 URLs have been referred to search engines like Bing and Google, with 287,961 of these being successfully removed.
The report further highlighted data from 160 websites targeted by disruption actions, showing an average 32% decrease in user engagement post-intervention. Encouraged by these initial signs of progress, the Commission remains committed to enhancing its capabilities, sharing strategies on an international scale, and collaborating with the industry to protect consumers and maintain the regulated market’s integrity.
However, illegal operators are adapting their strategies in response to these interventions. The Commission has noted changes in URL structuring, domain rotation, and embedding gambling content into unrelated websites. In light of these evolving tactics, the regulator is committed to adapting its own methods to effectively counter these new threats. “These behaviors indicate our disruption efforts are having an effect and are prompting evasive action,” the Commission observed. It is determined to stay alert to these changes and continue evolving its strategy to quickly address emerging threats.
The Commission is exploring new referral pathways with platforms hosting unlicensed gambling content. It plans to maintain its collaboration with host platforms, search engines, and content providers to remove unlawful content and gather operator data. It has also highlighted the importance of international collaboration, given the cross-border nature of many illegal operations targeting the UK. Joint projects with other regulators, such as the Dutch Kansspelautoriteit, are underway to synchronize disruption efforts and share intelligence.
In a bid to enhance its strategies, the Commission is leveraging machine learning and scripting tools to automate data scraping from illegal sites, which supports deeper analysis, aids in removal requests, and offers insight into large-scale patterns of illegal activities. It is also seeking to strengthen collaborations with financial and payment services to combat illegal transactions. Earlier this year, it made its first referral to Visa concerning illegal sites, with plans to extend these efforts to include Mastercard and digital wallets like PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
Additionally, the Commission is developing a targeted cease-and-desist route for digital marketing tied to illegal sites. This initiative aims to tackle aggressive digital marketing and manipulation by such entities. It sees a valuable opportunity for industry partners to support these efforts by sharing intelligence on illegal market activities and gathering insights into marketing strategies associated with the regulated sector. “This collaboration will be vital in ensuring we continue to tackle illegal activity causing the most harm and develop our wider understanding of the marketing and advertising techniques being deployed or copied by illegal market actors.”
In presenting these findings, the Commission emphasizes the importance of adaptability and international cooperation in its ongoing battle against black market gambling operators. As illegal market actors continue to evolve, the Commission is resolute in its mission to respond effectively to protect consumers and uphold the standards of the regulated gambling market.
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