UK Illegal Gambling Taskforce Sets Out Payments and Advertising Priorities
LONDON – The UK government has set out the remit of its new Illegal Gambling Taskforce, with payments, online advertising and enforcement coordination named as key priorities.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The move increases pressure on gambling operators, tech platforms and payment providers to help disrupt illegal gambling activity before it reaches consumers.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the taskforce will bring together gambling bodies, law enforcement, regulators, government departments, trade bodies, tech platforms and payment firms. Its published terms of reference state that the group will identify solutions and make recommendations aimed at reducing the negative effects of illegal gambling.
The taskforce will focus on three main areas. These are preventing or reducing payments to and from illegal gambling operators, tackling online advertising of illegal gambling, and improving cross-agency collaboration on illegal remote and land-based gambling.
Subgroups Will Focus on Payments, Ads and Enforcement
DCMS said a separate subgroup will be created for each priority area. Those groups will report progress and recommendations back to the main taskforce.
The payments workstream is likely to be closely watched by both gambling companies and financial service providers. Blocking payment routes has become one of the most practical tools available to authorities trying to limit access to illegal offshore operators.
The advertising subgroup will focus on how illegal gambling is promoted online, following the UK government’s separate consultation on unlicensed gambling sponsors. That includes concern over unlicensed brands using social media, affiliates, search visibility and paid promotion to reach players outside regulated channels.
The third subgroup will examine how agencies can work together more effectively on illegal online and land-based gambling. DCMS stressed that the taskforce will not direct or intervene in operational matters handled by the Gambling Commission.
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Taskforce Will Run for 12 Months
The taskforce will initially run for 12 months, after which its membership and remit will be reviewed. The full taskforce will meet at least twice a year, while subgroups are expected to meet at least quarterly.
The group will be chaired by Baroness Fiona Twycross, the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling. DCMS’s Director of Sport and Gambling will act as co-chair.
The government said the names of specific organisations and individuals involved in the taskforce will not be published. Other relevant stakeholders may be invited to contribute to certain agenda items or subgroup work.
Members will be expected to support non-legislative solutions linked to advertising and payment services, both within their own organisations and through wider industry action.
The taskforce’s work comes as the Gambling Commission sharpens its focus on illegal markets. The regulator is seeking a head of illegal markets and has said additional government funding will allow it to place more attention on illegal land-based gambling in the UK.
For licensed operators, the taskforce creates another signal that illegal market activity is moving higher up the policy agenda. For payment providers and digital platforms, it also points to closer scrutiny of the infrastructure that allows unlicensed gambling brands to reach UK consumers.
The next step will be the creation of the three subgroups and the first programme of work under each priority area. DCMS said the taskforce’s remit may evolve if members identify new priorities during the 12-month period.
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