The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has responded to the UK Gambling Commission’s decision to introduce Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) in stages.

Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said:

“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Gambling Commission has decided to press ahead with Financial Risk Assessments despite the significant concerns raised over the last 18 months by the BGC, operators, racing, parliamentarians and customers.

“The fact that the Gambling Commission has delayed implementation, raised thresholds and abandoned its original timetable is a clear recognition that the concerns raised by the BGC and others were well founded. Unfortunately, the central issues around reliability, consumer impact and the practical operation of these checks remain unresolved.

“The Commission has failed to address the fundamental issues identified during its own pilot. It has not demonstrated that the data underpinning these checks is accurate, reliable or consistent enough to support regulatory decisions affecting customers.

“The pilot exposed inconsistencies in the information returned by credit reference agencies, with the same customer potentially receiving different outcomes depending on the provider. Customers risk being wrongly identified as financially vulnerable based on a system that remains unproven. That is not a sound basis for regulatory intervention.

“The Commission has yet to publish a full evaluation of the pilot, so neither the industry nor the public has seen the evidence needed to justify introducing these checks.

“These checks cannot be described as genuinely frictionless if they produce unreliable outcomes, lead to unnecessary account restrictions or ultimately result in customers being asked to provide documents or open banking information.

“While the Commission has announced implementation groups, it has given no indication that they will resolve the outstanding questions around reliability, consumer impact and how the system will operate in practice.

“We support evidence-led, proportionate regulation that protects vulnerable people while allowing the 22.5 million adults in Britain who bet each month to do so safely. But until the Commission can demonstrate these checks are accurate, consistent and genuinely frictionless, our fundamental concerns remain, including the risk of driving customers towards the growing illegal gambling market.”

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The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Gambling Authority, further strengthening collaboration between European gambling regulators.

The MOU reflects a continued commitment to closer cooperation on compliance, monitoring, and enforcement. It is designed to support more effective information sharing and coordination between jurisdictions that oversee many of the same operators and market practices.

A recent meeting between CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, Anne Marie Caulfield, and Director General of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph, provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on key regulatory challenges and to align approaches where possible, especially in a digital-first age where gambling regulation increasingly requires coordinated European responses to address cross-border risks.

Welcoming the agreement, CEO of the GRAI, Anne Marie Caulfield, said: “This Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Gambling Authority is another vital milestone in strengthening cooperation between regulators operating in closely connected markets.

“Continued dialogue and collaboration between Ireland and Denmark will support more effective oversight and regulation, and we see this agreement as part of our continued efforts to deepen cooperation with regulatory partners across Europe.”

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The European Casino Association (ECA) hosted a high-level roundtable in the European Parliament on tackling illegal online gambling. The event title still referred to the 2024 figure of €80 billion, the figure available when the roundtable was organised, but that number was overtaken at the event itself: the 2025 figures, released for the first time during the roundtable, showed that the illegal online gambling market aimed at EU consumers had reached €91.6 billion, an increase of around 14%. The title was therefore already outdated the moment the new numbers were presented. Drawn from the study commissioned by the ECA to Gambling Compliance International (GCI) and set out by ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart, this rise deprived EU Member States of an estimated €22.9 billion in tax revenue.

A high-level roundtable in the European Parliament

The European Casino Association (ECA) organised a high-level roundtable discussion on illegal gambling in the European Parliament. Hosted by MEP Lukas Mandl, the gathering brought together EU lawmakers, the European Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), Eurojust, the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) on Europol, national gambling regulators and industry experts.

During the discussion, ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart presented the 2025 figures from the impact study on illegal online gambling that the ECA commissions annually from Gambling Compliance International (GCI). Participants exchanged views under the Chatham House Rule on the growing scale of illegal online gambling, how it is currently tackled, and what more can be done at European level. They acknowledged the growing scale of the problem and called for stronger enforcement and closer cooperation to support a safe, well-regulated gambling environment.

The discussion is timely, coming shortly after the European Commission’s proposal to reform the mandate of Europol, a key institution in the fight against cross-border crime, including illegal gambling.

What the 2025 GCI figures show

The latest impact study, commissioned by the ECA to Gambling Compliance International (GCI), shows that the illegal online gambling market aimed at EU consumers reached €91.6 billion in 2025, an increase of around 14% on the previous year. This clear upward trend deprived EU Member States of an estimated €22.9 billion in tax revenue in 2025.

The figures also show that illegal operators now account for the majority of online gambling revenue in the EU-27, that more than 6200 illegal operators are actively targeting European consumers, and that the overwhelming majority of online gambling content Europeans are exposed to promotes illegal, unlicensed operators.

What is meant by “illegal gambling”

In the 27 Member States of the European Union, there is no grey market and no third category. A gambling operator is either legal, meaning it is licensed in the country where it serves its customers, or it is unlicensed and therefore illegal. When the ECA speaks of illegal gambling, it means operators serving European consumers without the licence that national law requires.

What sets legal and illegal operators apart

Legal, licensed operators abide by national and EU law, apply anti-money-laundering measures and cooperate closely with national and EU authorities. They protect vulnerable consumers, with particular care for young adults, through strict responsible-gambling programmes; they make significant tax contributions; and they support local development, tourism and jobs.

Illegal, unlicensed operators, by contrast, operate outside any licence and any regulatory or ethical standard. They fail to apply anti-money-laundering measures and can facilitate money laundering and the financing of crime. They ignore age and identity checks and actively target young and vulnerable players, using aggressive marketing, personalised bonuses and free plays to drive compulsive play. They pay no tax in the countries they target, and they mislead consumers, for example by using the logos of legitimate operators in advertising to commit fraud.

ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart said: “The 2025 data from the GCI report leaves no room for doubt: illegal online gambling is a fast-growing, cross-border problem that puts players, especially young adults, at high risk, deprives societies of much-needed tax revenues, and undermines trust in the regulated market. Licensed casinos and their online businesses operate under strict rules and invest heavily in responsible gambling and anti-money-laundering measures. Yet illegal operators, often based outside the EU, can reach European consumers at the click of a button, without safeguards, without oversight and without contributing to our communities.”

“This is why we need strong political will and strengthened public-private cooperation that is aligned with this reality. By connecting national enforcement efforts, financial intelligence units and sector expertise, European institutions and agencies such as the European Commission, Europol and AMLA can help us turn data into action. If we fail to act now, the illegal online market will continue to grow at the expense of players, public finances and legitimate businesses.”

MEP Lukas Mandl said: “Illegal online gambling is not a niche issue, it is a serious cross-border threat that touches on consumer protection, organised crime and the integrity of our internal market. Europol is a crucial partner for Member States, but we must ensure that its mandate and resources allow it to fully support the fight against these illegitimate activities.”

“The evidence presented by the European Casino Association today show where cooperation is needed to do more. I will bring these insights into our parliamentary work and encourage colleagues cross-party to jointly go against the negative effects of illegal gambling from mental health issues to existential disasters of individuals and entire families, so that we can better protect citizens and make a clear difference between criminal activities and those operators who play by the rules.”

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