UK

The Charities Commission is investigating the UK’s oldest and most established gambling treatment provider Gordon Moody, after claims of racism and discrimination follow former CEO’s employment tribunal claim.  Former CEO Monica Shafaq resigned from Gordon Moody in October last year after raising concerns of a regulatory nature with the charity’s Board of Directors, which she…

Operators unlicensed in the UK will likely be barred from sponsoring British sports clubs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed.

The government announced plans to launch a consultation this spring, which would explore various legal levers to drive unlicensed gambling companies away from visibility in British sports, particularly the Premier League.

A look back on TGP Europe…

Fans of British football will be familiar with the logos currently seen on the kits of Fulham (SBOTOP), Bournemouth (bj88), Wolves (DEBET), Burnley (96.com), and Stake.com (Everton), among others.

All five operators were previously under the umbrella of TGP Europe, a white-label company stationed in the Isle of Man, which held UK licenses on behalf of foreign operators like the listed Asia-facing ones.

In April last year, TGP Europe was forced to surrender its licence and withdrew from the UK after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) hammered it down with a £3.3m penalty. All UK domains managed by the firm sh..

Wolverhampton Council has opened a public consultation to inform its Gambling Harm Reduction Strategy, as local governments across the country continue to confront the gambling industry.

With the opportunity to comment open until 20 March, the consultation aims to address what the Council sees as the “increasing harmful impact” of online betting, gaming platforms and targeted advertising.

Local policymakers have reported that 5.3% of Wolverhampton’s population is currently at risk of gambling-related harm, while 1.2% exhibit signs of already being affected by problem gambling.

Furthermore, the Council reports that between 2019 and 2022 only 70 locals sought gambling support through the local treatment specialist Aquaris. No data was provided about the use of the national helpline GambleAware, however.

Wolverhampton Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: “Gambling harm is a real and growing issue that affects individuals, families and comm..

Paddy Power has set out its plans to evolve the retail gaming experience through a new collaboration with ClearStake and the debut deployment of ID by bank in the retail space.

The new agreement aims to transcend the traditional brick-and-mortar experience by bolstering the digital experience within the retail space, giving the land-based sector a much-needed uplift when it comes to UI and the verification process.

Martin Burt, ClearStake CEO, commented on LinkedIn: “The same challenges exist in retail as they do online, and ClearStake provides a proven way to address them. This rollout shows how digital verification can enhance compliance and efficiency in physical venues, not just online.

“We’re proud to be supporting innovation in retail verification and look forward to seeing how bank-based ID continues to evolve across the UK market.”

The transition into retail seeks to reduce friction, bolster consistency and strengthen compliance for the operator, potentially shifting the ..

The CEO of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Andrew Rhodes, is stepping down from the leadership role in the midst of the British betting sector’s biggest readjustment in decades. Rhodes’ departure from the Commission was announced by the regulator early this afternoon, with his resignation date confirmed as 30 April 2026. This comes 30 days after the HM Treasury’s new…

GamCare recorded a significant increase in referrals to treatment and peer-based support services in January 2026, following contact with the National Gambling Helpline and its live chat service.

The charity made 996 referrals during the month, up from 674 in January 2025 – a 48% year-on-year increase.

Excluding referrals to peer-based support services such as the Money Guidance Service and Way Forward, treatment referrals rose to 742, compared with 603 in the same month last year.

January 2026 was one of the highest referral months that GamCare has recorded in the past five years, with only October 2025 (1,165 referrals), September 2025 (1,022) and August 2025 (1,077) exceeding the figure.

“More people affected by gambling harms are choosing to start treatment,” said Victoria Corbishley, CEO of GamCare.

“The National Gambling Helpline is a 24/7, confidential route to support, and our advisers rapidly connect people with free, specialist help across Great Britain. That first conv..

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is evaluating whether the final destination for regulatory settlements paid by British betting operators should change.

Consultations are now open until 2 April on the potential amendment of section 2.39 of the UKGC’s ‘Statement of principles for determining financial penalties’.

Under the current texts, payments made as part of regulatory settlements do not need to be paid into the government’s Consolidation Fund.

The Consolidation Fund collects government proceeds from means such as taxation, which are then used to subsidise public initiatives. These include compulsory financial penalties imposed by the UKGC in relation to regulatory breaches under section 121 of the Gambling Act 2005.

However, as stated above, regulatory settlements – which are negotiated agreements at heart – do not currently end up in the Consolidation Fund, which the UKGC is now looking to amend.

“This would ensure that any future regulatory settlements, which are an impo..

A 40% year-over-year uptick in young people self-excluding from online gambling has been recorded by Gamstop.

The increase relates to individuals aged 16-24 and covers the six-month period ending 31 December 2025. This age group, according to the self-exclusion scheme, represents 29% of all total new registrations.

More details revealed that 38% of under-25s prefer to self-exclude for a duration of six months. For all total registrations, the most preferred option (47%) is a five-year self-exclusion.

For those choosing five years, Gamstop introduced an additional auto-renewal option at the end of 2024, with the scheme highlighting that the option’s popularity has been steadily climbing, and that at the end of 2025 it was selected by more than 50% of five-year exclusions for the first time since its introduction.

These stats are, of course, relating to online gambling. In addition, Gamstop has also unveiled its new Multi Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme for Betting Shops (MOSES) identity, which rebrands Gamstop Betting Shops and integrates better with its online self-exclusion service.

This improved integration will replace the old method of having to self-exclude from retail venues via phone, with customers instead being able to do so online.

MOSES offers a maximum self-exclusion option of 18 months, currently covering around 6,000 retail shops and more than 60 operators, and more than 9,000 people on the register.

Fiona Palmer, CEO of The Gamstop Group, which operates both MOSES and Gamstop Online, said: “Our brand refresh reflects the evolution of Gamstop and will deliver clarity, consistency and accessibility while preserving the trust and integrity built over the last eight years since we launched.

“The continued year-on-year growth in registrations highlights the ongoing and increasing need for effective self-exclusion tools. The rise in take-up of our auto-renewal option, in particular, shows that many consumers are seeking longer-term support and recognise the value of self-exclusion in helping them manage their gambling.”