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UK Government Publishes Remit of Illegal Gambling Taskforce

DCMS unveils a three-pronged plan targeting illegal payments, offshore advertising and cross-agency enforcement, as the regulated industry warns the UK black market has tripled since 2019 to £16.6 billion.

Category: iGaming News - UK · By Growl Games Editorial Team · Tue May 19 2026 · Updated Thu Jul 23 2026

UK Government Publishes Remit of Illegal Gambling Taskforce

Table of Contents

What Happened

On 13 May 2026, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published the formal terms of reference for the UK's new Illegal Gambling Taskforce, five months after Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross first announced the unit in January. The document confirms the taskforce's objectives, structure, membership categories and operating rules, and sets a 12-month initial remit with a renewal decision at the end of the period.

The Three Objectives

The taskforce will pursue three priorities, each handled by a dedicated sub-group that reports back to the main body:

  • Preventing or reducing payments to and from illegal gambling operators.
  • Tackling the online advertising of unlicensed gambling, including offshore marketing reaching UK consumers.
  • Improving cross-agency collaboration and enforcement against both illegal remote and land-based gambling.

The main taskforce will meet at least twice a year, while sub-groups are recommended to convene quarterly. Meetings will run under Chatham House rules.

Leadership and Membership

Baroness Fiona Twycross, Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling, will chair the taskforce. Ben Dean, DCMS Director for Sport and Gambling, has been named co-chair. Membership will draw from gambling operators, tech platforms, payment providers, the Gambling Commission and other regulators, government departments, and trade bodies. The names of individual organisations and participants will not be made public.

DCMS will provide the secretariat, handling meeting logistics, papers and coordination of taskforce actions. The taskforce will not direct or intervene in the Gambling Commission's operational work; it is positioned as complementary to the regulator.

Why Now: The £16.6bn Black Market

The publication follows research from H2 Gambling Capital, shared by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) earlier in May, which put annual UK stakes with unlicensed operators at £16.6 billion in 2025 — roughly triple the 2019 figure and double the level of two years ago. The share of UK gambling taking place on regulated platforms has slipped from 97% to 92% over the same period.

The Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026, with general betting duty due to climb from 15% to 25% in April 2027. Operators have argued the tax increases will accelerate the migration of customers to offshore sites. The Treasury allocated £26 million over three years to combat illegal gambling, funding both the taskforce and a newly created Head of Illegal Markets role at the Gambling Commission, advertised at £65,000 with applications closing on 24 May.

Industry Reaction

The licensed sector has broadly welcomed the focus on enforcement but questioned whether the format is sufficient. Critics have flagged that biannual full-taskforce meetings are unlikely to keep pace with offshore operators. The BGC has also urged Parliament to pause before tightening advertising rules on licensed firms, citing forecasts that unregulated operators' UK ad spend will rise 32% while licensed spend falls 9.2% to £1.1 billion by October 2026.

Some operators have warned the higher Remote Gaming Duty will undermine the same objectives the taskforce is being asked to deliver, pointing to the Netherlands — where a similar duty rise was followed by a measurable shift to illegal sites and lower government receipts — as a cautionary case.

What Comes Next

The taskforce will begin its programme of work over the next 12 months, with sub-groups expected to produce recommendations on payments, advertising and enforcement. A renewal decision is due at the end of the initial term. Separately, the Gambling Commission will finalise its Head of Illegal Markets appointment in June, and acting chief executive Sarah Gardner has signalled further measures targeting non-compliant gaming machines from 29 July 2026.

Sources

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