The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) CEO Andrew Rhodes has said the regulator will step up scrutiny of suppliers linked to unregulated operators this year.
Speaking to the International Association of Gambling Advisors (IAGA), Rhodes said the Commission would continue to use covert buying and other investigative tools to identify businesses assisting unlicensed operators.
The CEO’s comments come amid increased scrutiny of the Commission’s policies in this area. Evolution revealed in late 2024 that its licence was under review due to its games being made available to unlicensed operators.
He said: “If the Commission feels it is necessary to suspend or revoke the licence of any operator or supplier, then their activity ceases immediately. Whatever they are supplying you with, stops – immediately.
“So, I would say that anyone who is reliant on a third party needs to be comfortable they are not likely to face that risk and if you think you are, I would be doing something about that now.”
Rhodes stressed that the Commission had previously focused on upstream disruptions and invested heavily in tackling unlicensed football betting.
Experts say this is part of a wider European trend of regulators taking more concerted action against providers and payment systems.
Asked whether the Commission now expects the industry to police unlicensed betting instead of the regulator, Rhodes also expressed confusion.
Rhodes added: “Actually, I do not understand why anyone in the licensed industry would want to be in business with a company that is supporting illegal competition – it makes no sense to me at all and would suggest the illegal market is not the issue some suggest, if this was deemed acceptable.”
Appearing alongside Rhodes, Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) chief executive Grainne Hurst said the organisation’s supplier members were committed to not supporting illegal gambling.
Rhodes also highlighted the difficult nature of the gambling regulation debate in the UK in 2024, expressing skepticism that things will improve in the year ahead.
He said: “As the Statutory Levy, Ombudsman and various other changes get nearer, I do wonder whether the frequent ‘absolutism’ we often see in the commentary from various groups will continue.
“This also leads into debates about statistics and the evidence base and there is a risk that positions are so entrenched and so reductive the actual point is missed altogether.”
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