Policy
Lived Experience Advisory Panel: Managing conflicts of interest policy
The policy on managing conflicts of interest for the Gambling Commission's Lived Experience Advisory Panel. The policy aims to maintain public trust and confidence.
Keeping crime out of gambling
Gambling operates in an increasingly global market. As we raise standards across the regulated gambling market it is vital that we continue to tackle illegal gambling and risks relating to betting integrity. Both of these pose unacceptable risks to consumers and licensed operators. During 2023 to 2024, we continued to work with partners and undertook intelligence-led disruption and enforcement initiatives to contribute to a reduction in crime associated with gambling. Manipulation of betting events can involve serious organised national and international crime networks. Our collection, analysis and sharing of intelligence with other regulators and agencies remains a cornerstone of our work.
From April, the collection of the Economic Crime Levy (ECL) became part of our core regulatory work.
For 2023 to 2024 we committed to identifying and undertaking high impact interventions to disrupt unlicensed operators targeting consumers in Great Britain, and publishing an evidence gaps and priorities assessment.
Our achievements
We undertook the following high impact interventions to disrupt unlicensed operators targeting consumers in Great Britain.
As a result of reports from consumers, licensed operators and enforcement partners, we issued 384 cease and desist and disruption notices to unlicensed operators resulting in 136 website restrictions through suspension or IP blocking. Several of these websites were actively targeting vulnerable self-excluded consumers, enabling them to circumvent the exclusion to gamble on unlicensed sites.
We held discussions with search engine providers to discuss referrals and further action on search results. Talks are ongoing to improve our ability to disrupt unlicensed operators.
One of the evidence gaps and priorities we identified during the year relates specifically to illegal gambling and crime. We need to understand how gambling is linked to criminal activity, crime as a dimension of gambling-related harm, and improve our knowledge of the extent and impact of the unregulated market. Our focus will be researching consumers’ understanding and use of unlicensed illegal gambling operators, and using the GSGB to develop our understanding of how people commit crime or are a victim of crime as a dimension of gambling-related harm.
During 2023 to 2024 we took enforcement action against gambling operators and personal licence holders who were found to have breached conditions relating to anti-money laundering, social responsibility controls and customer interaction. We suspended the operating licences of one online business while a review of its operations was conducted; the licensee subsequently surrendered its licences. In total, 8 operators paid more than £13.4 million in fines (£7.16 million) and regulatory settlements (£6.24 million).
Our Sports Betting Intelligence Unit continued its work with sports associations, organisers of tournaments and law enforcement authorities with the aim of safeguarding betting integrity. As well as the usual annual large sporting events, 2023 also saw the Women’s Football World Cup in Australia and the Men’s Rugby World Cup in France. During 2023 to 2024, the team received 443 reports which included issues such as suspicious betting activity, sports rules breaches, misuse of inside information and offences under the Gambling Act 2005.
Our intelligence team generated 3,077 intelligence reports, relating to issues including sports-related issues, social media lotteries, unlicensed remote operators and money laundering.
Our Issues Management Group (IMG) is responsible via the consideration of intelligence referrals for ensuring that any emerging issues or trends are escalated appropriately within the Commission. These referrals often identify risks or breaches of licencing objectives or alleged offences under the Gambling Act 2005 (or other legislation). During 2023 to 2024, the IMG considered 177 cases.
As part of our ongoing programme of assessments, we conducted:
- 122 compliance assessments of online and land-based operators
- 77 website reviews
- 182 security audits.
Additionally, we processed 133 operator licence applications, with 1,837 individuals applying for a personal licence, supported by our online platform.
Last updated: 17 October 2024
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