UK Unveils Details About the Responsibilities of Its Illegal Gambling Taskforce

The UK government provided further insights into the responsibilities of its newly created Illegal Gambling Taskforce. This comes as the UK Gambling Commission seeks a new head of illegal markets.

The Government Revealed Details About the Taskforce

The Illegal Gambling Taskforce was launched earlier this year as the government sought to challenge the growing black market sector. Taskforce members include regulated gambling stakeholders, as well as representatives of regulatory bodies, banks, and tech giants like Google.

The UK government has now detailed how the taskforce will operate, saying that it will have three core goals: disrupting financial transactions tied to the black market, combating the advertising of such platforms, and supporting enforcement action against illegal operators. Each of these objectives will be tackled by a separate sub-group of the taskforce, which will have to keep the broader organization informed of its progress and potential recommendations.

Although the identity of the taskforce members remains undisclosed, the government confirmed that the organization will be chaired by Baroness Fiona Twycross. Members will be expected to contribute to the taskforce’s objectives and work on non-legislative improvements related to the advertising and payment sectors.

In any case, the government emphasized that its new Illegal Gambling Taskforce does not aim to replace the UKGC, but rather complement it. The government said that the former organization will not intervene in the commission’s job directly, but will instead work on identifying solutions to rein in the black market.

UKGC on the Lookout for Head of Illegal Markets

In the meantime, the UKGC just announced that it is on the lookout for a new head of illegal markets. The UK regulator described the position as a full-time job with a salary of £65,000 per year, although a part-time option is also on the table.

The regulatory body emphasized that it is looking for someone with strong leadership skills, technical knowledge, and experience working with legal teams and listed SIO, CPIA, PACE or POCA qualifications, experience with covert authorities and illegal markets disruption, and understanding of the gaming sector as desirable qualities.

Individuals interested in the position can apply by May 24, but should keep in mind that they will be barred from playing the National Lottery.