The UK Gambling Commission has suspended the license of VGC Leeds Limited, the company running the Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds city center, stopping all of the company's...
UKGC publishes its 4th illegal online gambling report
The UK Gambling Commission has published its fourth and last report of its ongoing series that is looking into the issue of illegal online gambling.
This series of reports, initiated earlier in 2025, aims to give more insight on the illegal gambling that consumers take part in, the risks that they are exposed to, and the counter measures that are being implemented. The first three reports have already discussed customer awareness, factors and motivations, engagement patterns and trends, as well as the disruptive efforts aimed at illegal gambling activities.
The latest report under the title “Estimating the size of the illegal online gambling market” has been dedicated to the difficulties faced in measuring a market that is, by its own definition, hidden. The report admits that even though assessing the size of illegal online gambling quite necessary for forming appropriate policy and enforcement methods, it still creates methodological complications that are very complex to work with.
Data that can be trusted on illegal online gambling is not easy to come by, and often, the information shortage has to be compensated for by making assumptions, which, naturally, reduces the trust and reliability factors.
The Commission compares this challenge to other areas of illicit activity, such as the illegal tobacco trade, where government bodies face similar difficulties in assessing financial impact. While no definitive market size has been published, the Commission’s research so far has strengthened the evidence base and improved understanding of both consumer behavior and the methods used by illegal operators.
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