UKGC Publishes the First of Several Illegal Online Gambling Reports

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published the first of several reports examining Britain’s illegal online gambling market.

The inaugural report focuses on player behavior, motivations, and personas, with subsequent reports to focus on other aspects of the black market, including engagement data, enforcement, and challenges.

Some People Choose Offshore Operators, Others Stumble Upon Them

The latest research sought to fill the evidence gaps around the extent of the black market and the type of players who frequent unlicensed websites.

The latest study proved that players’ motivations for using offshore operators tend to be similar to those of players choosing to play with legal casinos. The study understood that black market players were attracted by better odds and promotional offers, just like their legal market counterparts.

There are some differences too, as others were attracted by the ability to gamble with crypto or gamble whilst self-excluded, the UKGC noted. In addition, there were also those who struggled to differentiate between legal and illegal products.

International evidence further suggested that the usual offshore operator players tend to be younger men or high rollers. Data from international markets aligns with the findings that many seek out the black market in order to access products that are not permitted locally.

Overall, the UKGC defined four types of offshore players, which include self-excluders, who wish to play despite having excluded themselves from gambling, skilled advocates, who wish to explore new game types, social explorers, who stumble across offshore websites via social media, and accidental tourists, who stumble upon black market websites by chance.

Illegal Gambling Is Unsafe, Unfair, and Criminal

Andrew Rhodes, the UKGC’s chief executive officer, commented on the findings, highlighting the importance of protecting the UK from the influence of the black market. He emphasized that the illegal gambling market is unsafe, unfair, and criminal, which is why the commission has invested heavily in battling it.

To be even more effective in combating the illegal market, it’s vital that we have both a deep and broad understanding of how it operates, and this insight is a crucial step in building that understanding in a very complex area to research.

Andrew Rhodes, CEO, UKGC

Rhodes added that the UKGC will continue to increase its disruption activity and join forces with a variety of bodies in order to minimize the harm caused by illegal gambling.

In the meantime, the UKGC launched a new Illegal Gambling Hub that provides British consumers with a wealth of information on how to identify illegal or unlicensed gambling.