The UK is stepping up the fight against illegal gambling
The UK government has announced the creation of the Illegal Gambling Taskforce, an interdisciplinary group aimed at combatting illegal operators and shadow gambling.
Launched in January 2026, the initiative has brought together representatives from industry, banking, technology, law enforcement and regulatory bodies. Participants include Google, Mastercard, TikTok and Visa.
The taskforce will focus on three main tasks:
1. Restricting financial transactions with illegal operators.
2. Combating the online advertising of illegal gambling.
3. Strengthening coordination between agencies and platforms to counter illegal gambling.
Subgroups will be created for each task to develop recommendations and monitor their implementation. Participants should actively contribute to the development of solutions within their organisations and industries.
The government has stressed that the taskforce does not replace the powers of the UK Gambling Commission, but rather aims to find solutions and coordinate efforts.
The group will be led by Baroness Twycross, the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling. She will be supported by Ben Dean, Director of Sports and Gambling at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The initiative is initially designed to last one year, with the possibility of extension.
The new taskforce is part of the UK's strategy to combat illegal gambling. Earlier, the UK Gambling Commission announced a search for a head of illegal markets, who will develop a strategy to combat unlicensed operators and coordinate work with technology platforms.
