Gambling Commission refers more than £40m in suspected criminal funds for possible freezing

The Gambling Commission has referred more than £40 million in suspected criminal funds to partner agencies for possible asset freezes since January. However, we have not been told how much of this money has been frozen because of the referrals.

The figure was announced on Monday 9^th November. The date is important as it is the start of the very first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week. The commission said it was widening its enforcement work. It wants to target services that keep illegal gambling sites running. This includes:

• The payment channels illegal sites use to take deposits.
• The advertising that brings players to the sites.
• The suppliers that provide the sites with casino games and sportsbooks.

The Commission’s executive director of operations, Sue Young, said the regulator was also continuing to work with law enforcement to seize cash at illegal land-based gambling operations.

“If you run an illegal gambling operation, we are coming after you, your business and your money.” — Sue Young, executive director of operations, Gambling Commission

Search referrals rise to 7.7 million in one quarter

Website disruption is still a part of the Commission’s approach. It has referred more than 7.8 million URLs to search engines. More than three million of these have been removed from search results. The Commission also said it has referred over 2,200 websites for disruption. There have also been over 1,000 cease-and-desist notices issued to illegal operators so far in 2026/27.

Most of the URL referrals were in the second quarter. The first quarter had 147,721 yet by the second, the total rose to 7.7 million. A single website can account for multiple URLs. When you remove a link from search results, it can make a site harder to find while leaving it accessible directly. When payment services or access to games is the target, it means the site can’t offer anything to customers if they happen to reach it.

Commission seeks earlier reports from industry

The Commission briefed UK gambling executives on the approach last week. This came after discussing it with international regulators in October. It said it would work with gambling businesses, technology companies, financial firms and law enforcement together. The goal is to improve intelligence sharing. They hope to encourage earlier reporting of suspected illegal activity.

The announcement follows the regulator’s latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain findings. These were published on 5 November. The Commission estimated that 0.6% of adults had used an illegal gambling website in the previous four weeks. That figure measures participation. The enforcement dashboard tracks activity like referrals and removals. These can rise as the Commission steps up its work.

Illegal Gambling Awareness Week runs from 9 to 13 November. The International Association of Gaming Regulators is leading the campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by illegal gambling. It also aims to strengthen cooperation between regulators, industry and law enforcement.