Europe

Global tech companies like Meta and Google have been directly approached by Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), with a request to join the gambling trade body in its battle against the black market.

In an open letter, the BGC and its members underscored that illegal gambling is now rampant across social media, search engines, messaging services and digital advertising networks, easily targeting British consumers.

Hurst relayed that those who are at most risk of such marketing campaigns are the most vulnerable, those who have self-excluded, who are seeking support for a disruptive gambling behaviour – and that they’ve been preyed upon by illegal operators who are hiding in plain sight.

“These illegal operators are not part of the regulated gambling industry. They are not licensed by the Gambling Commission. They do not follow British rules. They do not carry out the checks required to protect customers. They do not contribute to rese..

While the eyes of the world will be fixated on the on-field battles during the FIFA World Cup, a similarly hard-fought clash is unfolding behind the scenes between licensed operators and the black market.

The brand protection company Corsearch warned that illegal betting platforms are weaponising regulated brand identities through phishing and fake domains to ‘funnel users into the black market’.

It was revealed that betting-related phishing scams often more than double during major tournaments, as the firm said that this figure rose 118% month-on-month during last year’s sporting summer.

This data is particularly concerning for the World Cup, which kicked off yesterday (11 June), given that the tournament is projected to be the biggest betting event in history, with $60bn expected to be wagered.

However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime last year warned that illegal betting volumes could surpass the legal market based on previous trends, meaning the betting boom expec..

Entain has identified another target in its campaign exposing the threats of illegal and unlicensed gaming in the UK.

The latest development sees the LSE gambling group put forward its direct concerns of trademark integrity to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) as seen by SBC News.

Entain believes that an urgent regulatory intervention is required by UKIPO in relation to trade marks granted for gambling brands.

The FTSE250 group has questioned whether UK trademark rules are being undermined by unlicensed gambling brands being able to claim British trademarks.

Simon Zinger, Entain’s Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer, has now appealed to the UKIPO to seal off the UK trademark register to gambling companies which do not hold a Gambling Commission licence.

The company argues that by allowing unlicensed operators to access the register gives these companies “the commercial legitimacy that registration confers” and supports operations that are illegal in the..

British bookmakers’ anti-money laundering standards are slipping according to the Gambling Commission, which has taken aim at the over-use of AI by operators.

Failure to comply with AML standards has led to some hefty enforcement actions in the past, with the Commission charging Entain and William Hill record penalties of £17m and £19.2m for AML and social responsibility failures in 2022 and 2023.

John Pierce, the Commission’s Director of Enforcement, addressed stakeholders at the Gambling Anti-Money Laundering Group (GAMLG) Annual Conference yesterday, and took note of the emerging use of AI and algorithms used as AML controls and diligence by betting licences.

“We aren’t ideologically against the use of new technology in your processes,” he said.

“But you need to be sure they are doing what is required and the evidence we’ve seen so far is too often they simply aren’t delivering.

“So if your business is considering this type of approach, make sure it’s delivering compliance be..

The Anjouan gambling regulator has steadfastly denied that its licences are designed to be used globally and universally.

Anjouan, one of the autonomous islands of the Union of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, has found itself front-and-centre in conversations around illegal and unlicensed gambling in major betting markets like the UK.

Anjouan Gaming published a statement on LinkedIn on 10 June responding to what it called “public commentary” around its licences and comparisons between its own regulatory standards and those of other national gaming authorities.

The regulator has not singled out any specific examples of the commentary it is referring to.

However, anyone familiar with the betting industry will be very aware that Anjouan is routinely mentioned in conversations around black market, grey market, and unlicensed gaming.

“An Anjouan Internet Gaming Licence is not, and has never been presented as, a universal authorisation to operate in every country in the world,” Anjoua..

Lloyds Bank has warned of the significant levels of fraudulent activity flowing through Meta platforms.

The reported infiltration of fraudulent activity taking place on Meta will raise alarms for iGaming stakeholders, with the social media network continuing to be cited as a key driver of traffic to the unlicensed gambling market.

However, data from the UK banking giant underpinned the scale of the task facing Meta, as it thwarts the illicit content proliferating its network.

Lloyds’ Head of Fraud outlined that two-thirds of fraud reports were targeted towards Meta customers. The fraud expanded into various sectors, from ticketing to clothes sales.

It also tapped into key events on the calendar when social engagement is highest, which will draw concern ahead of the World Cup this summer.

An aggressive external approach is being taken to the fraudulent activity, with Richardson Hartley Law and Humphries Kerstetter confirming they are forming a group legal claim for scam victim..

Duncan Garvie, Founder of gambling harm tool BetBlocker, has welcomed Monica Shafaq as the new Director of Strategy and Partnerships.

Shafaq carries a comprehensive career experience when it comes to problem gambling, having previously held the Chief Executive Officer position at Gordon Moody, a prominent UK charity specialising in gambling harm treatment.

She’s also a mental health expert, having carried the Chief Executive Officer title for 13 years at mental health and wellbeing organisation the Kaleidoscope Plus Group. Besides that, she’s quite versed in the UK sports scene, particularly football, evidenced in her past work with numerous football charities.

At BetBlocker, which was set up by Garvie with the purpose of aiding bettors who have a problematic gambling behaviour, Shafaq will certainly be a valuable asset in rebuilding their lives back up.

Garvie added: “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Monica over the last few years, and have found her to be a principled an..