Global tech companies like Meta and Google have been directly approached by Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), with a request to join the gambling trade body in its battle against the black market.
In an open letter, the BGC and its members underscored that illegal gambling is now rampant across social media, search engines, messaging services and digital advertising networks, easily targeting British consumers.
Hurst relayed that those who are at most risk of such marketing campaigns are the most vulnerable, those who have self-excluded, who are seeking support for a disruptive gambling behaviour – and that they’ve been preyed upon by illegal operators who are hiding in plain sight.
“These illegal operators are not part of the regulated gambling industry. They are not licensed by the Gambling Commission. They do not follow British rules. They do not carry out the checks required to protect customers. They do not contribute to research, prevention and treatment. They do not pay UK tax,” the CEO was adamant.
Hurst referenced a speech by Tim Miller, Director of Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission, from earlier this year, where he also called for tech conglomerates to take a stance against the black market.
Back then, Miller went into more detail about how such illegal companies operate on a mass scale, with users able to access full lists of operators not licensed by the Commission through a simple Google search.
“The uncomfortable truth is that this content is still readily available, despite the extraordinary technological capabilities at your disposal,” Hurst added, alluding to the arsenal of tools that firms like Meta have, such as data vaults, tech expertise, artificial intelligence, illegal content markers, among others.
Hurst: how big tech can do more
Market data laid out by Hurst pointed to research done by World Advertising Research Center (WARC), which expects illegal gambling advertising spend in Britain to overtake that of the regulated sector by as early as 2028.
On the consumer side, H2 Gambling Capital expects stakes with black market operators in Britain to double in size by that same year, going up from the £17bn today to £33bn in 2028.
The UK government has already begun to tighten the oversight of the sector, with Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross heading the Illegal Gambling Taskforce, of which several tech companies are already a part of – alongside licensed gambling operators and payment providers.
One of the biggest regulated gambling operators in the UK, Entain, has also embarked on a crusade to address the issue with illegal operators, singlehandedly taking on unlicensed advertising in the Premier League and the handing of trademarks to such companies.
But Hurst remained adamant: “Yet as the black market continues to grow, there remains little visible evidence that collective action is matching the scale of the threat.”
The CEO put forward multiple clear-cut measures that she believes tech companies should consider if effective results are to be achieved. These include:
- Proactively identify and remove illegal gambling advertising before it reaches consumers.
- Invest more resources in detecting and disrupting black market operators.
- Strengthen cooperation with law enforcement, regulators and industry.
- Share intelligence to prevent illegal operators simply moving between platforms.
- Publish greater transparency around enforcement activity and outcomes.
- Join a coordinated effort to keep vulnerable consumers away from unlicensed operators.
Hurst concluded: “The regulated betting and gaming industry, regulators, law enforcement and technology companies all have a role to play. None of us can solve this challenge alone.
“We stand ready to work with every platform willing to help protect consumers, disrupt illegal operators and ensure the online ecosystem is not used as a gateway to gambling harm.”