UK

Virgin Media O2 is urging its British audiences to be vigilant of ‘scam messages’ promoting offers and prizes related to gambling and other business sectors.

The UK’s second-largest telecoms provider, with over 47 million connections across mobile, broadband, TV and fixed line, has raised concern about criminal gangs using gambling-linked messages to target consumers with fraudulent offers.

Analysis by Virgin Media O2 shows that the most common scam texts currently blocked or reported involve gambling or fake prize promotions:

As cited: “The most commonly reported messages right now are gambling or fake prize scams in which fraudsters offer free ‘credit’ on gambling sites, ‘prizes’ or ‘rewards’ with a link to an unsafe website. The criminals encourage people to hand over personal details including bank information to claim their prize.”

Scams on the rise…

While gambling prize messages dominate, Virgin Media O2 has also identified several other fast-rising scam tactics:

Hi Mum / Hi Dad scams, where criminals impersonate children in distress and ask parents for urgent money transfers.
Fake parking fines, threatening licence loss unless immediate payments are made online.
Recruitment scams, advertising lucrative but fake jobs to extract fees or personal data.
Car finance compensation scams, convincing victims they are owed refunds in exchange for sensitive details.

British audiences are urged to forward suspicious texts to 7726 (spelling “SPAM” on a phone keypad) or use the “report junk” feature on newer iPhones. Virgin Media O2 stresses that reporting helps its systems learn faster, blocking more messages before they reach customers.

A record year of scam texts
So far in 2025, Virgin Media O2 has blocked more than 600 million scam messages from reaching its customers’ phones — more than double the combined total of 2023 and 2024. The company uses machine learning systems to identify spam patterns and adapts quickly as new tactics emerge.

Murray Mackenzie: Virgin Media 02
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “Scammers aren’t sticking to old tricks; they’re evolving fast, tapping into trending news and targeting vulnerable people with fake prizes, job offers and financial compensation schemes. At Virgin Media O2 we’ve blocked more than 600 million scam texts already this year. By sounding the alarm, we’re helping spread the word and helping Brits swerve the scammers.”

He added: “With fraud continuing to increase, we’re reminding people to remain vigilant; always be cautious when receiving a call or text out of the blue, don’t share personal details, and report suspicious messages for free to 7726.”

Reformists want a tightening of clauses
2025 saw DCMS and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) impose new rules on direct marketing by operators. As of 1 May 2025, online gambling licences must ensure customers can opt-in by product type and preferred communication channel before receiving promotional offers.

The new rules aim to empower players with more control over the marketing they receive — and prevent them from being bombarded with unwanted offers.

Despite the changes, gambling reformists argue the measures do not go far enough. Campaigners have urged DCMS to revise the Gambling Review’s White Paper to include stronger protections on opt-in clauses and clearer rules on how licence-holders can engage with audiences.

The matter has been formally raised with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), calling for stricter oversight of data protection and valid consent to be applied in all gambling marketing.

UKGC’s pledge

Yesterday, Tim Miller, Executive Director of Policy at the Gambling Commission, addressed the forum of Peers for Gambling Reform (PGR). In his speech, Miller stressed that further reforms lie beyond the recommendations of the White Paper, which should not be viewed as an end point for gambling regulation in the UK.

The Commission, he noted, is governing an evolving gambling landscape, with priorities centred on licence accountability and consumer protection against the black market. Miller underlined that the UKGC welcomes dialogue, feedback and scrutiny to safeguard gambling consumers well beyond the implementation of the White Paper’s measures.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has announced a significant extension to the Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (CAP Code).

For the first time, the rules will explicitly apply to non-paid-for online marketing communications such as social media posts targeting UK consumers, regardless of where the advertiser is based.

The update aims to close long-standing regulatory loopholes and ensure that all UK-licensed businesses adhere to the same advertising standards, even if they operate from outside the UK – with new rules specifically designed for UK gambling licences.

Under the existing remit, offshore operators based in foreign jurisdictions such as Malta and Gibraltar were able to bypass CAP Code rules related to marketing communications.

Feedback to ASA recognised liabilities in the Code with regards to social media content promoting gambling services UK audiences, that was left outside of regulatory boundaries.

UK gambling licences were alerted that as of 1 September, exemption on non-paid content no longer apply. All operators holding UK licences must now ensure their unpaid marketing communications comply in full with the CAP Code.

“The amendment ensures all marketing communications targeted at UK consumers by licensed gambling operators are regulated and held to account by the same body (i.e. the ASA).

“The amendment to the scope of the Code is therefore made in line with better regulation principles, particularly to support consistency in regulation.”

Rules will be applied to all UK-targeted content on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.

In its statement, the ASA said the rule extension brings social media marketing by licensed gambling operators into scope, regardless of where those operators are located. It stated that the change promotes stronger regulatory standards and consistency in rules applied to UK gambling advertising.

While the new rules are already in force, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has launched a three-month consultation to gather feedback from the industry. A formal review of the changes is expected in December, following the conclusion of the consultation period.

The ASA has clarified that this extension applies exclusively to the gambling sector. It does not, at this stage, apply to advertisers from other industries that do not have a UK-registered address.

Changes to the CAP Code come amid growing public and political pressure to strengthen controls on gambling advertising across digital platforms, particularly given the heightened exposure of young users to promotional content.

CAP Code changes related to gambling advertising have been ongoing since 2022 and as part of the Gambling Review. Most notably ASA and CAP applied changes to the appeal and aesthetics of gambling ads, in which promotions can no longer feature athletes, celebrities or social media influencers.

Campaign restrictions were further tightened by CAP demanding that all online adverts promoting gambling have a base age guidance of +21, to prevent age-restricted content from being served to children.

Dr Raffaello Rossi: University of Bristol
Dr Raffaello Rossi, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, welcomed the update, describing it as an important (albeit overdue) — step towards improved consumer protection.

Rossi, alongside other academics, had sent ‘several letters’ to the ASA to highlight the loophole in 2021, noting that gambling operators could avoid UK social media advertising regulations simply by relocating registered offices abroad.

“This is an important, though long overdue step for consumer protection and regulatory consistency in UK advertising.

Until now, social media advertising by some of the largest gambling operators — such as Paddy Power, Bet365 or Ladbrokes — often fell outside the remit of the ASA, because their businesses were registered abroad, even though they held a UK gambling licence.”

Dr Rossi thanked colleagues at the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research, University of Bristol Business School, the APPG on Gambling Reform, Sanya Burgess, and Lord Foster of Bath for supporting the initiative.

UK gambling licences were informed that CAP will review the impact of the extended remit following a three-month period, deemed a timeframe that is necessary, given that the changes primarily affect a narrow category of non-paid social media content. Furthermore changes are not expected to be applied to a broader range of advertisers.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued guidance to licensees outlining how the Statutory Levy will be calculated for payments due from 1 September, with rates set between 0.1% and 1% of relevant revenue depending on the type of gambling activity.

Recognised as the flagship measure of the Gambling Act Review, the levy will see operators make a mandatory payment from yearly revenues, which will be directed towards a new system of funding for gambling harm research, education and treatment (RET).

Treatment funding and commissioning of projects will be overseen by the NHS, with NHS England chosen to do this although it is now being dissolved by the government. Prevention and education will be overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and research by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Levy number crunching
As noted above, the UKGC has set the rates for operator revenues paid towards the RET levy at between 0.1% and 1%. When a company’s levy value is calculated at £10 or less for the levy period it will not be required to pay, with different types of companies assigned different levy periods.

The levy has been in place since 1 July for most operators, chiefly betting, casino and bingo firms, and since 1 April for society lotteries. Invoices for the levy will be issued on 1 September annually and based on financial activity from the previous financial year.

Prior to the launch of the Levy system, DCMS updated gambling licences confirming that the levy would impose the specific rates of:

Source; UKGC website
The mechanics of the Gambling Levy, deem that the system of funding will be overseen by the Commission as a regulatory remit assigned by DCMS. As previously cited, the calculations of rates are varied depending on business category of between 0.1% and 1.1% depending on the type of licence.

The calculation applied to determine the applicable levy payments for UK licensed B2C non-lottery operators equates to “Levy Amount = Stakes + Other Income – (Prizes Paid Out)”. The calculation will be used to determine what levyable amount can be charged on non-lottery B2C operators.

The ‘other income’ of B2C operators can be viewed as competition entry fees, tournament subscriptions, poker rake, and game monetisation features.

For lottery operators (B2C), the statutory levy is calculated on the net income they receive from lottery sales minus prizes paid out to determine the levy amount to be charged on subject to the category rate.

A third calculation is required for Societal lotteries. In which the levy amount is drawn from net income generated from operating lotteries on behalf of charities and good causes. The calculation is determined as total fees earned – prizes paid to partners.

Paying and preparing – what is expected of operators?
The Commission has confirmed, as stated above, that invoices for the new statutory levy will go live on eServices on 1 September, with licensees required to pay in full by 1 October.

As the payment of the levy is a licence condition, operators risk losing their licence if they fail to meet the deadline, unless the authority accepts that the delay was due to an administrative mistake.

For the levy’s first year, firms will be issued with a single invoice covering GB activity, and a second one if any non-GB operations are reported. Payments cannot be made in instalments however, and must be done via bank transfer or GovPay into the account listed on the invoice.

The Commission also made it clear that every detail – from quoting the invoice number in full to the exact amount – must be followed, adding that any errors could see payments rejected and licenses put at risk.

With the first statuary levy deadline approaching, operators are being advised to get their house in order. That means making sure regulatory returns are filed on time and correctly, confirming they can access eServices and checking that the Commission has all the right contact details on its record.

The UKGC also assured that further guidance is to follow over the next few months as UK gambling companies adopt one of the biggest licensing requirements it has seen since the 2005 Gambling Act was passed.

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Zoë Osmond OBE will pass on the torch as GambleAware CEO to Anna Hargrave as the charity prepares for closure in 2026.

The historic commissioner of problem gambling research, prevention and treatment in the UK, GambleAware is set to close its doors in March next year as the delivery of this work transitions to new commissioners across Great Britain under a government mandate and a new statutory framework.
NHS England has been chosen as the commissioner of funding projects, taking over from GambleAware – although the public health body is due to be shut down by the government as part of a cost cutting initiative.

Regardless, with the government’s plan to hand commissioning duties over to some kind of public health body in mind, GambleAware is opting to call an end to its decades-long activity.

As a transition CEO, Hargrave will oversee day-to-day operations as the charity gradually moves to its planned closure on 31 March.

Hargrave is a GambleAware veteran
Hargrave has been integral to the work that GambleAware has produced over the years, having played a key role in the charity’s Executive Leadership Team as Deputy CEO and Chief Strategy and Commissioning Officer since 2021.

Among Hargrave’s long list of achievement milestones with GambleAware is the re-commissioning of the National Gambling Support Network, improving its efficiency and access for vulnerable people.

She also leveraged her previous senior experience with the NHS to engrain a public health approach into all of GambleAware’s work.

On her new venture, Hargrave said: “Firstly, I want to thank Zoë for her leadership and support over the years, which has helped GambleAware achieve its ambition to see gambling harm positioned as a public health issue.

“The final six months are critical for the smooth transfer and transition to the new system and I am delighted to be taking on this role.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the new commissioners as they get to grips with their new responsibilities within the statutory system and will work with them to ensure their efforts build upon the current system’s achievements and insights to ensure learnings are carried forward.”

When is the official change of hands?
Osmond has served as GambleAware CEO since 2021, and has been a part of the charity for a total of seven years. Her leadership has been marked by important advocacy work to designate problem gambling as a national public health concern that puts all corners of society at risk.

She will officially step down on 30 September 2025, with Hargrave subsequently taking on transitional CEO duties with immediate effect.

Zoë Osmond, GambleAware CEO
Commenting on the change and reflecting on her work so far, Osmond added: “It has been a huge privilege to lead and work at GambleAware over the past seven years. The sector has undergone significant transformation during this time, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved – particularly our commitment to embedding the voices of the lived experience community at the heart of everything we do.

“Few charities can truly say they’ve delivered on their founding mission, but GambleAware and the exceptional team behind it have played a pivotal role in reframing gambling harms as a public health issue and helped to shape the foundations of the new gambling harms prevention and treatment system.

“I’m delighted that Anna will be taking the reins for the next critical period, leading the charity through the completion of its transition to the new system. Her commissioning expertise and insight as Deputy CEO means she is well-placed to complete our vital work.”

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Billionaire John Caudwell, a key ‘business ally’ of PM Sir Keir Starmer, has openly voiced support for the Labour government to significantly ramp up taxes on UK gambling activities.

The founder of Phones 4u expressed on Twitter (X) that Labour should follow through with tax proposals endorsed by former PM Gordon Brown. Caudwell argued that higher gambling taxes were appropriate given the “polluting nature” of the sector, which he claims generates vast social costs that outweigh its economic contributions.

With the Labour government yet to settle on the terms of its Autumn Statement, Brown wrote an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves instructing the Treasury to implement a ‘targeted strike’ on the gambling industry.

The former PM advised Reeves to adopt proposals from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which called for a sharp rise in duties on remote gambling from 21% to 50%. Further increases would elevate machine gaming duty to 50% and general betting duty (sports bets) from 15% to 25%—with provisions excluding horseracing wagers.

Brown urged Reeves to ignore industry pushback, insisting that gambling tax reform was the logical step to fund Labour’s pledge to reduce child poverty. According to IPPR estimates, such increases could raise an additional £3.2bn annually, lifting around half a million children out of poverty.

While Caudwell has been vocal in his backing of the proposals, he is not listed as a Labour donor. Instead, he was a long-standing supporter of the Conservative Party before dramatically switching allegiance at the 2024 General Election, voting Labour for the first time. At the time, he criticised the Conservatives for losing their way on economic discipline and failing to win the confidence of the business community.

His actions were seen as a symbolic victory for Sir Keir Starmer, marking a broader shift in support from parts of the UK’s business elite towards Labour. Caudwell’s intervention on gambling tax has further cemented his role as one of the most high-profile business figures backing the government’s economic direction.

Yesterday on Twitter, Caudwell openly expressed that a “hugely damaging gambling sector” should face its polluter tax, urging Chancellor Reeves to adopt former PM Brown’s toughest measures.

The intervention has sharpened tensions as the Autumn Budget Statement nears, with the gambling industry pushing back hard against the prospect of steep duty increases.

In the comment section of The Sun, under the headline “Three-quarters of punters say betting is key to British culture amid new tax threat”, readers warned that higher taxes risk driving betting further underground. The poll suggested that three in four punters view gambling, whether on sports, racing or bingo, as part of Britain’s cultural identity.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst reinforced the association’s viewpoint in the article, stating: “Punters are clear, betting is not just a leisure activity, but a valued and long-standing part of Britain’s cultural and sporting landscape.

“From casinos to bingo, horseracing, football, rugby league, darts, and snooker, millions of adults enjoy betting safely and responsibly each month.

“BGC members are proud to support jobs on the high street, invest in local communities and grassroots sport, and contribute billions in taxes to fund essential public services.”

Concerns over how far to push gambling taxes have already divided political ranks across all parties. Within Labour, Gordon Brown and business allies such as John Caudwell are pressing for a sharp escalation, while MPs representing racing constituencies remain wary of the impact on jobs and heritage.

A Racing Post survey found that among 23 Labour MPs in areas with racecourses or training centres, only six responded to inquiries — some backing modest tax harmonisation, which would lift betting duty from 15% to 21%, and others offering only non-committal responses.

In opposition, the Conservative Party remains split between calls for complete overhaul of regulation led by Sir Iain Duncan Smith and concerns over taxes impacting rural communities as stated by Kemi Badenoch.

With the Budget expected by late October or early November, Reeves has so far shed no insights on her tax strategy. The Treasury has only confirmed that gambling duties remain under active review, alongside wider reforms to council tax, pensions relief, and high-value property.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a £1m fine to ProgressPlay Limited for compliance failures related to anti-money laundering and social responsibility.

Following a UKGC compliance assessment, the operator has also been handed a warning and is expected to undergo a third-party audit within six months of a licence review being concluded to ensure AML and social responsibility policies, procedures, and controls are being effectively implemented.

The Commission noted that the breaches took place over various dates between August 2021 and August 2024.

ProgressPlay, which operates 134 websites, has now faced enforcement action from the UKGC for the second time in three years, as the operator paid a £175,718 fine for social responsibility and AML failures in 2022.

John Pierce, Director of Enforcement and Intelligence at the UKGC, commented: “Gambling businesses must have robust policies and procedures in place to protect consumers and ensure appropriate anti-money laundering controls are maintained. These measures must be actively implemented and regularly tested to confirm their effectiveness.

“This case marks the second time ProgressPlay Limited has been subject to enforcement action by the Gambling Commission. Its failure to meet AML obligations, along with the gaps identified in its social responsibility processes, are unacceptable.”

According to the UKGC, AML failures by ProgressPlay included:

An appropriate Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (MLTF) risk assessment was not conducted and appropriate controls to minimise MLTF risk were not implemented.

Not considering all business-associated risks, failing to take a sufficient risk-based AML approach.

Transactions carried out during customer relationships, such as verifying source of funds, were not sufficiently scrutinised to ensure transactions were consistent with the casino’s understanding of the customer, their business activities, and their risk profile.

The Commission also stated that the operator’s social responsibility failures included:

Not having adequate systems and processes in place to monitor customer activity at the point of account opening effectively, early identification of potential gambling-related harm or the implementation of appropriate interventions was at risk.

Employing a customer interactions policy which didn’t adequately address the elements of identify, act and evaluate set out in the Remote Customer Interaction section of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice.

Not implementing adequate processes to understand the impact of individual interactions and actions on a customer’s behaviour, the continued risk of potential harm, and whether further action is needed.

The UKGC noted that ProgressPlay cooperated with the investigation and took corrective steps to address the failings identified.

“As part of the regulatory outcome, ProgressPlay is now required to undergo an independent third-party audit to assess the adequacy of its compliance arrangements across these areas,” Pierce added.

“Operators should be in no doubt: repeated regulatory breaches will result in increasingly severe enforcement action. We urge all operators to examine the failings identified in this case and take proactive steps to strengthen their own systems and controls.”

September 15 will see SBC organise a groundbreaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/