In an online update the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has outlined the hotly anticipated Illegal Gambling Taskforce’s priorities and membership, noting the group would not publicly share information on its members.
The group, set to meet twice a year, will be chaired by the minister responsible for gambling and co-chaired by DCMS’s director of sport and gambling.
The remaning membership will be made up of “a mix of experts and industry participants from the gambling industry, tech platforms and payment providers, the Gambling Commission and other regulators, government departments, and trade bodies”.
The initiative places particular emphasis on online operators and the payment and advertising channels that facilitate their operations.
Taskforce’s main three objectives
The DCMS detailed three main objectives for the 12-month-long taskforce:
- Preventing or reducing payments to and from illegal gambling operators.
- Tackling online advertising of illegal gambling activities.
- Enhancing cross-agency collaboration and enforcement efforts against both remote and land-based illegal gambling.
Each objective will be managed by a dedicated sub-group tasked with developing detailed workplans. These sub-groups are expected to meet at least quarterly, while the full taskforce will convene a minimum of twice a year.
All meetings will be conducted under Chatham House rules to encourage open dialogue.
Members are expected to engage actively, participate in sub-groups, and support non-legislative solutions, particularly concerning advertising and payments, within their own organisations.
It emphasises that the taskforce is not designed to intervene in the operational activities of the Gambling Commission.
The UK illegal market
The taskforce was established amid growing concern over the scale of illegal gambling activity in the UK, particularly as tightening regulations threaten to push players into the black market.
The initiative also follows increasing scrutiny from the commission regarding how consumers are accessing unlicensed gambling sites. An analysis highlighted rising use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and mirror websites to bypass restrictions and access offshore operators, particularly around major sporting events.
The regulator has repeatedly warned that illegal sites often lack basic safeguards for players.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sustainable-gambling/dcms-launches-illegal-gambling-taskforce/
