News

Crypto casinos: the gaping hole in the UK’s anti-money laundering arsenal

13 Aug 2025

A Betconix investigation reveals that online casinos using cryptocurrencies are exploiting loopholes in UK anti-money laundering regulations, thereby circumventing the controls imposed on licensed operators.

Legislation

Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, warns of the implications of the mandatory levy

Caroline

13 Aug 2025

The mandatory levy in the United Kingdom aims to strengthen the prevention and treatment of gambling problems. Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, warns of the risks of funds being used in a way that is detrimental to players.

Legislation

Graine Hurst, CEO of the BGC, wages war on misconceptions about gambling

Caroline

11 Aug 2025

Faced with myths and lies spread by the British media about gambling, the CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, Grainne Hurst, is relying on data and the voices of players to restore the truth and defend the image of a rapidly changing industry.

Sensation

The British IPPR wants to tax gambling more to fund social programmes

Julien

11 Aug 2025

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), an influential British think tank, is reigniting the debate around a major reform of the tax system applied to gambling. In a report published on 7 August 2025, the institute proposes doubling taxes on online gambling and slot machines, with the aim of generating more than £3 billion per year.

Economy

Judges hammer used for declaring outcome judgement.

Spribe wins court case in the United Kingdom against counterfeit game by Aviator LLC

Julien

8 Aug 2025

On 1 August 2025, the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom sent a clear signal: Spribe has won its battle against the Georgian company Aviator LLC.

Sensation

Lucas Paquetá cleared: the truth behind a year of suspicion

Sarah

1 Aug 2025

Falsely accused of match-fixing, Lucas Paquetá has just been definitively cleared by the Football Association.

Sensation

GambleAware to be replaced by the State in March 2026

Glen

28 Jul 2025

This is a major turning point for the regulation of gambling-related harm in the United Kingdom. After years of advocating for stable public funding, the charity GambleAware will cease operations for good in March 2026. The announcement was made following the introduction of a mandatory statutory levy to replace the current system of voluntary contributions from gambling operators.

Sensation

Gambling club casino news uk gambling commission

United Kingdom: 643,000 betting accounts restricted in 2024

Sarah

27 Jul 2025

In 2024, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed that 4.31% of active betting accounts (643,779 accounts out of nearly 15 million) had been subject to commercial restrictions. These actions ranged from betting limits to outright closure, with no direct link to anti-money laundering or financial vulnerability.

Economy

Hollywoodbets advert banned after complaint from teenager

Glen

26 Jul 2025

On 16 July 2025, a 16-year-old teenager saw a Hollywoodbets advert displayed on the Virtual Football League (VFL) website, an e-sports portal. His profile clearly indicated that he was a minor, yet the advert was shown to him despite this. This breach prompted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to launch a thorough investigation.

Sensation

Reforming gambling, focusing on health: Labour on the offensive

Glen

21 Jul 2025

Since July 2025, a growing group of Labour MPs outside government have been raising their voices in opposition to the party leadership. These elected representatives, both new and old, are calling for the 2005 Gambling Act to be abolished, as it has been described as outdated in the face of current digital practices.

Legislation

ASA sanctions Play’n GO: ads for their slot machines deemed too childish

Sarah

19 Jul 2025

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has targeted three banner ads from games publisher Play’n GO Malta Ltd. Distributed via the Adroll platform, the ads featured a superhero bunny, a DJ robot and anime-style princesses. The ASA considers that these visuals, despite their ‘18+’ labels and responsible gaming messages, were likely to attract under-18s.

Sensation

United Kingdom: Will gambling tax explode?

Glen

17 Jul 2025

The UK government is considering raising the tax on online gambling from 21% to a record 41%. The move, which would be one of the most aggressive in the UK gambling industry’s tax history, is part of a budgetary strategy to plug a public deficit estimated at more than £30 billion.

Economy

How Wimbledon is stopping live betting cheats

Sarah

16 Jul 2025

For the 2025 edition of Wimbledon, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has broken new ground. Gone are the suspects spotted solely via the bookmakers’ odds: Wimbledon is now deploying undercover agents (“spotters”) in the stands to track down courtsiders, the live bettors who exploit the time lag between the actual point and its televised broadcast.

Sensation

UKGC reform: fines based on revenue

Glen

16 Jul 2025

On 10 October 2025, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will roll out a new system of financial penalties. The key element: the amount of fines will be directly linked to the percentage of GGY (gross gambling yield) generated by the operator during the period in question. A radical reform designed to strengthen justice, fraud prevention and player protection.

Economy

United Kingdom: A fatal tax increase for horse racing? 

Sarah

13 Jul 2025

Since April 2025, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has been sounding the alarm: the British government is planning to merge taxes on online betting, raising the tax on horse racing betting from 15% to 21%, the same rate as for casino gambling. This change would represent a loss of at least £66 million a year (around €76 million) for the industry, with a risk of £160 million (€185 million) if the rates rise further.

Economy

iGB Live: Punished gambling companies remain active

Ron

11 Jul 2025

A major international gambling fair took place in London in early July: iGB Live. More than 15,000 people from the gambling world gathered there.

Sensation

Major data leak at Betfair and Paddy Power: everything you need to know

Ron

10 Jul 2025

On Monday 8 July, Flutter Entertainment confirmed that there has been a data leak at gambling sites Paddy Power and Betfair. In the process, players’ personal data was captured.

Sensation