How the UKGC Plans to Protect Players from Unlicensed Casinos

This inquiry, organised in partnership with Yonder Consulting, is centred around player motivations and behaviour, including the different demographics of people who choose to interact with unlicensed casinos. The research aspires to clarify the ways in which players discover and access such sites.

Britain has some of the strictest gambling regulations in the world. Recent reports warn that enhanced security may heighten black market activity.

UKGC CEO, Andrew Rhodes said,

“We are determined to protect consumers and maintain confidence in the regulated sector by taking robust, evidence-led action. Since April 2024 we’ve seen a ten-fold increase in our disruption activity, and we intend to continue to work with a wide range of partners to build on this success.”

The study discerned four major groups participating in illegal gaming:

1. “Self-excluders” are players who willingly underwent self-exclusion from licensed sites using tools such as Gamstop and resort to illicit platforms when they fail to resist the gambling impulse.
2. “Skilled advocates” intentionally pursue unsanctioned casinos looking for new games, different payment methods and fewer restrictions.
3. “Social explorers” enter the sites through recommendations.
4. “Accidental tourists” are unaware that the websites they are using are unauthorised as they discover them through adverts or search results.
5. Chronic gamblers, individuals with high scores on the Problem Gambling Severity Index and younger men aged 18 to 24 have a higher likelihood of using unlicensed websites.

Their incentives are different but share common themes: seeking games, stakes and currencies (like cryptocurrency) that are forbidden at licensed UK casinos. Certain players specifically look for the ability to bypass identification checks, while others just appreciate ease of access and ostensibly higher value promotions.

The UKGC notes a gap in consumer information and a risk of players being deceived by sites that appear official but aren’t. Players agreed that companies should have a permit to function in the UK, but there is confusion surrounding how to distinguish lawful and unlawful casinos. This blacklisted casinos list is a helpful place to start learning.

The research showed that the majority of black market players actually use unregulated operators to supplement regular gambling. Popular forms of illegal gambling mirror betting patterns in legitimate casinos: betting on football, online bingo, slot games, and virtual gaming were the most common activities.

The UKGC recognises the complexity and difficulty of researching a covert iGaming sector. The Commission plans to broaden the study via the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, which will allow them to collect more information as well as monitor trends in the long run.

Planned action also involves exploring whether regulatory changes such as financial vulnerability checks could sway player behaviour.

UK players can expect to see more targeted awareness campaigns emphasising the dangers of illegal gambling and encouraging legitimate practices in the controlled market.