Illegal Activity Warning Issued By UKGC, Evolution Among the Investigated
Slot game studios and other casino companies have been warned not to allow their games on illegal unlicensed sites.
Key Facts:
- UKGC is targeting illegal activity in the gambling industry
- Chief executive Andrew Rhodes has given a speech on its expectations for the coming year
- In 2025, UKGC will be clamping down on unlicensed, unregulated sites
- Rhodes suggested 2025 could be a less political year for the sector following the change in government
The UK Gambling Commission is responsible for regulating the betting industry in this country.
Andrew Rhodes, the chief executive of the body, has given a major speech outlining his expectations for the year, with 2025 expected to see upheaval across the industry.
The Labour government, which came to power after the general election, has indicated it wants to reform the sector, and UKGC will be central to those plans.
Rhodes suggested illegal activity is going to be a prime focus for the organisation this year.
Ongoing Investigations
Evolution is among the globally recognised casino companies that are under investigation after it was accused of allowing its games to be used on illegal sites.
The Gambling Commission is looking into the matter, and Rhodes issued a warning to studios and developers that they must ensure their partners are legitimate.
Speaking at the IAGA webinar, ‘Setting the Gambling Agenda for 2025: A Less Political Year?’, he said this does not mean the industry, not the regulator, is responsible for policing illegal sites.
Rhodes said in his speech: “I do not understand why anyone in the licenced 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.”
Covert test purchasing and other investigative tools will be used by UKGC in 2025 to clamp down on illegal operators in the betting and casino industry.
Rhodes added: “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.”
More Or Less Political?
Rhodes also spoke about his and the Gambling Commission’s expectations for how the political picture could change for the industry in 2025.
He said: “Wherever there is risk, we know there will be difficult stories, and some of those will be very difficult stories. It is risk-based regulation, not no-risk regulation, and even outside of regulated areas, there will be stories that understandably provoke a reaction.”
Labour’s plans for the industry include a statutory levy on operators that it says will raise £100 million, while slot stake limits are also being imposed on the sector by the government.
