Gambling Commission steps up illegal market crackdown as industry pressures mount

The UK Gambling Commission has reported a substantial increase in enforcement activity against illegal gambling operators. More than three million URLs removed from search engines in the first six months of the financial year.

Speaking at the regulator's CEO Briefing on 5 November, Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner outlined progress in tackling unlicensed gambling. She also acknowledged the financial challenges facing legitimate operators.

Between April and September 2026, the Commission issued 1,005 cease-and-desist notices. This can be compared with 741 throughout the previous financial year.

It also reported more than 7.8 million URLs to search engines. This resulted in 3.04 million removals. To compare, during the whole of 2025/2026, there were 266,667 removals.

Meanwhile, 1,668 websites were taken down or disrupted. This has already exceeded the 1,134 recorded during the previous year.

Additional funding supports enforcement

The increase follows the government's commitment of £26 million over three years to tackle illegal gambling. The first £7 million arrived just over six months ago.

Gardner said the funding had allowed the regulator to expand its enforcement capacity considerably.

However, she acknowledged that further work was needed and suggested the Commission's approach could change as more evidence becomes available.

New research published alongside the briefing found that 1% of British adults surveyed had accessed illegal gambling websites during the previous 12 months. Among online gamblers excluding National Lottery participants, the figure was 4%.

The findings will provide a baseline against which future illegal market activity can be measured.

Online casinos drive gambling market growth

Gardner also addressed the uneven performance of Britain's licensed gambling sector.

Although total gross gambling yield (GGY) increased by 4.4% to £17.5 billion, online casino gambling accounted for £736 million in additional GGY, exceeding the £728 million increase recorded across the industry overall.

Land-based gambling grew by just 1.1%. Adult gaming centres outperformed other venues with an 11% increase in GGY.

The figures show the difficulties high street operators are facing. In particular, this is worse following the government's recent increase in Machine Games Duty to 25%.

Gardner recognised the impact of taxation and operating costs. However, she stressed that tax policy remained outside the Commission's remit.

Financial checks and regulatory reform ahead

Looking ahead, the Commission is preparing to introduce Financial Risk Assessments following a pilot in which 97% of customers exceeding spending thresholds could be assessed without additional friction.

Gardner confirmed that the consultation response would be published in the coming weeks, with implementation taking place in stages.

A new five-year Corporate Strategy is also expected in 2027. It will focus on crime prevention. This will be through improved regulatory efficiency and stronger use of technology and data.

Despite the enforcement figures, Gardner emphasised the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship with licensed operators.

"No one should fear talking to us about concerns or challenges. We want to hear from you. Especially where we are going to disagree." – Sarah Gardner

The message comes as operators are facing increasing regulatory obligations as well as higher taxation and continued competition from the illegal market.