TLDR The UK government launched a 12-month Illegal Gambling Taskforce to disrupt payments and advertising tied to unlicensed operators. The taskforce will operate under confidentiality rules, with its membership list kept private. Unlicensed gambling stakes in the UK hit £16.6 billion in 2025, more than triple the 2019 figure. The group is pushing for voluntary, non-legislative action from payment providers and tech platforms. The move comes after the Remote Gaming Duty was raised to 40% in April 2026, raising fears of more players turning to black-market sites.
The UK government has created a new Illegal Gambling Taskforce with a clear mission: cut off the money and advertising that keep unlicensed gambling sites running. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published the body’s terms of reference on May 13.
The taskforce brings together gambling operators, tech platforms, payment providers, regulators, and government departments. Its goal is to develop practical ways to fight the growing black market in online gambling.
There are three core priorities. The first is stopping payments flowing to and from illegal operators. The second is removing illegal gambling ads from online platforms. The third is improving cooperation between agencies that enforce gambling laws.
Illegal Gambling Market Has Tripled Since 2019
The scale of the problem is large. A May 2026 study by H2 Gambling Capital found that annual stakes with unlicensed operators reached £16.6 billion in 2025. That figure is more than three times what it was in 2019.
A separate analysis by Yield Sec, cited by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, estimated that illegal operators now control around 9% of Britain’s online gambling market.
The taskforce launch comes just weeks after the UK’s Remote Gaming Duty rose to 40% in April 2026. Industry critics have warned that the tax hike could drive more