After a board meeting on May 21, the UK Gambling Commission announced that it will be postponing the final decision on the implementation of affordability checks in the form...
UKGC to launch enforcement action against illegal lotteries
The UK Gambling Commission’s director of policy, Ian Angus, has revealed plans to further strengthen controls on illegal lotteries to protect consumers and the regulated market.
The government is seeking to protect the regulated sector, as it generated more than $1.35 billion in gross gambling yield (GGY) in 2025, making society lotteries the second most popular gambling method in the UK. On the other hand, the director warned that illegal lotteries could damage the reputation of licensed organizations if they continue targeting consumers.
In order to fight against the illegal market, Angus shared that the commission will allocate $35 million in Treasury funding to automate enforcement mechanisms and create the country’s first risk assessment of illegal gambling, in collaboration with the Illegal Gambling Taskforce.
The operations of illegal lotteries are especially dangerous in cases when they use charity-connected messaging or prize-based promotions, which is why Agnus also urged licensed operators to report any information that could help eliminate the unregulated lotteries.
Director Angus commented:
“Society lotteries play a vital role in our communities, raising important money for those charities and causes that otherwise may miss out. But lotteries are, of course, in law a gambling product and one that requires appropriate regulation to keep it safe, fair, and crime-free. We need and want to continue to work with others who have a role to play in keeping illegal gambling as small a part of the market as possible, and that includes lotteries. So please do keep on sending in any intelligence you find or receive.”
Similar measures in 2025 proved to be effective, as the government was able to block 356 illegal lotteries and has already removed 79 platforms in 2026.
On April 30, 2026, Andrew Rhodes officially stepped down from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the UK Gambling Commission after five years as head of the regulator.
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