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Casino Guru’s complaint data reveals scope of UK players gambling at unlicensed websites

Published

5 years ago

February 24, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Gambling Commission’s recent calls for evidence and views from the industry and the public regarding upcoming changes to Great Britain’s gambling regulation has seen a number of professionals emphasize the potential rise of black-market gambling as a consequence of tightening regulations.

These claims have been largely backed up by a PwC report, which estimates the number of UK online gamblers using unlicensed operators to have more than doubled from 2018 to 2020, from c.210,000 to c.460,000 gamblers.

Later on, UK gambling firms have been accused of exaggerating the scale of black-market gambling in an attempt to influence the GC’s decision to introduce tougher regulations. The GC’s chief executive Neil McArthur commented that the report delivered by PwC is not consistent with their intelligence picture and lacked any evidence to show an increase in illicit betting. He added that GC’s own evidence suggests that the impact may be being exaggerated.

Simon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Responsible Gambling Projects Manager, has been keeping up with the heated discussion taking place in British media and looked into their data on player complaints to get an idea about the scope of the issue: “I understand the need for regulation in the gambling market and its usefulness in keeping children and vulnerable players safe. It’s something I deeply believe in and work towards in my position as well. However, it didn’t seem right to me to just disregard the negative effects of tightening regulations altogether.”

Casino Guru operates a casino dispute mediation service, in which players can complain about any online casino if they feel to have been mistreated, regardless of its license, and get assisted for free. After looking into their data, Simon discovered 666 complaints submitted by players from the UK, of which 145 is about casinos with a license from GC and 521 is about casinos without it. This means that 78% of all complaints submitted by UK players have been about operators without a GC license.

“Of course, this doesn’t mean that 78% of UK players gamble at foreign websites. Because of the generally lower quality of service and reputation of these operators, it can be expected that these players will run into issues more often, resulting in a higher proportion of players submitting public complaints. However, it is also a clear sign that there are UK players gambling at casinos without a GC license, and that there is quite a lot of them,” Simon commented on this data.

He also compared the British situation to what has happened in Sweden: “When gambling regulations get more restrictive, an increased proportion of players usually start looking for unlicensed operators to avoid those regulations. Sweden is a great example of this, where 40% of casino players and 34% of sports betters gamble on unlicensed websites or would consider doing so in future, according to a study published back in April 2020. Taking a look at Google search data, there has been a major increase in Swedish players actively looking for unlicensed casinos since introducing the country’s gambling regulations with a strong focus on player safety.”

“With tighter regulations being introduced in Great Britain, the GC should be aware of the possibility of an increasing number of British punters actively looking for unlicensed sites in attempts to avoid the strict regulations. These players then gamble on foreign websites without the strict limits present at UK-licensed ones, ending up more susceptible to problematic gambling habits as a result of lower responsible gambling standards of some foreign operators, on top of other negative qualities that can be present at these websites.”

Data from the PwC report suggests that 4,5% of UK players gamble at foreign websites, while 78% of all complaints submitted to Casino Guru by UK players are related to these foreign websites.

Simon commented: “Combining this data would suggest that 4,5% of players are responsible for 78% of all casino complaints, which would signify a huge imbalance. Of course, the numbers are based on different data and there may be other factors in play, but I think that the imbalance is there, and has to do with the fact that players gambling on foreign websites simply run into issues more often. These can range from unclear bonus terms and bad implementation of responsible gambling features all the way to unscrupulous casinos outright scamming players.”

“If an increasing number of players leave the regulated market and go for foreign alternatives, they may be subject to a higher risk of developing problem gambling and losing money to foreign websites, some of which can have unscrupulous tendencies. This seems like a good enough reason to seriously consider the risk of rising use of black-market gambling websites by UK players,” he added.

While the GC is examining evidence presented by stakeholders and working towards updated gambling regulation, it remains to be seen how the situation ends up being handled and what new rules get implemented. Only time will tell whether tighter regulation really does increase the use of black-market sites or not, and whether the benefits will outweigh possible drawbacks.

Atlaslive

Operational Friction at Scale: Infrastructure Risks in Online Casinos

Published

1 hour ago

March 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

operational-friction-at-scale:-infrastructure-risks-in-online-casinos

This article is part of Atlaslive’s series examining vulnerabilities in online casino operations and how established operators can address them proactively.

The series highlights critical exposure areas, including cybersecurity threats, KPI red flags, financial leakage, platform and infrastructure weaknesses, and compliance challenges. The final article will present mitigation principles recommended by Atlaslive specialists.

Focusing on Infrastructure and Platform-Level Risks

As online casinos scale, structural vulnerabilities often emerge, revealing weaknesses in technical architecture. These issues typically remain hidden during early development and only appear under stress—such as peak traffic, new market launches, major campaigns, or rapid product expansion.

Common Structural Risks Include:

System latency during high-load periods
Gaps in integration between payments, CRM, and other platforms
Delays in reporting pipelines
Limited real-time data visibility
Fragmented architecture requiring manual intervention in risk, bonus, or payment processes

Beyond Uptime: Performance Quality Matters

Infrastructure issues affect more than system stability. Latency disrupts in-play sessions, reporting delays slow decision-making, and poor integrations increase manual workloads while reducing responsiveness to fraud or behavioral anomalies.

For mature operators, resilience is measured not just by uptime but by seamless communication across verticals—sportsbook, casino, payments, CRM, and risk management—without friction. True scalability maintains performance quality even as operational complexity grows.

Reducing Operational Friction

As scale outpaces architecture readiness, operational friction rises: manual interventions increase, visibility decreases, and response times to emerging risks slow. Atlaslive experts emphasize the importance of structured system communication, real-time data access, and integrated workflows to sustain stability under growth.

Infrastructure vulnerabilities rarely appear overnight; they evolve gradually as operations expand.

To explore Atlaslive’s insights on cybersecurity threats, KPI red flags, financial leakage, regulatory exposure, and recommended mitigation strategies, visit the full article on the Atlaslive blog.

About Atlaslive

Atlaslive is a B2B software developer delivering a multifunctional, automated platform for sports betting and casino operators. Core components include Sportsbook, Casino, Risk Management & Anti-Fraud Tools, CRM, Bonus Engine, Business Analytics, Payment Systems, and a Retail Module. Follow Atlaslive on LinkedIn for the latest iGaming technology updates.

The post Operational Friction at Scale: Infrastructure Risks in Online Casinos appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Fanatics Casino

RLX Gaming expands US reach through Fanatics Casino launch

Published

1 hour ago

March 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

rlx-gaming-expands-us-reach-through-fanatics-casino-launch

RLX Gaming, the innovative iGaming aggregator and content supplier, has officially launched its full portfolio with Fanatics Casino in the United States.

Players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can now access RLX Gaming’s extensive library of in-house and third-party titles, following a soft launch in Pennsylvania. Leading slot hits like Temple Tumble, Bonsai Dragon Blitz, and The Great Pigsby are now live, alongside a broad selection of releases from some of the most creative studios in the industry.

Fanatics Casino, available in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia on iOS and Android, offers a wide variety of classic and modern casino experiences, including slots, blackjack, roulette, progressive jackpots, and video poker. Each game is designed to deliver authentic casino action, ensuring endless entertainment for players.

This partnership marks a significant step in RLX Gaming’s mission to deliver dynamic, globally-ready content that drives innovation and engagement in the online casino space.

Matthew Hockenjos, Commercial Account Manager for North America at RLX Gaming, said:

“Our collaboration with Fanatics Casino represents a major milestone for RLX Gaming as we strategically broaden our footprint across North America. Fanatics Casino’s commitment to delivering top-tier entertainment aligns perfectly with our mission, and we’re thrilled to bring our engaging slot experiences to players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”

Kieron Shaw from Fanatics Casino added:

“We are delighted to integrate RLX Gaming’s captivating portfolio into our platform. This partnership reinforces our dedication to offering a premier online casino experience, giving players access to high-quality titles with proven appeal across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”

The post RLX Gaming expands US reach through Fanatics Casino launch appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gen Z

Traffic and Gen Z: What actually works?

Published

1 hour ago

March 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

O brave new world… Greetings to everyone who keeps running traffic in these turbulent times, where the rules of the game change faster than we can update our creatives. Regulations are tightening, social platforms constantly rewrite their policies, and search engines keep updating their algorithms, that’s already the new normal. But there is another factor influencing the market just as much. A new generation has grown up, reached adulthood, and is entering categories that were dominated by millennials just yesterday. We’re talking about Gen Z and those coming right after them, generation Alpha.

There’s a lot of discussion about them. But the team at Moon Partners wants to look at this topic from a more practical angle, not through the lens of generational theory, but through traffic performance.

Who are Gen Z as an audience?

This is the first fully digital-native generation. They don’t just use smartphones, they’ve never known life without them. They grew up inside social media algorithms, and by the age of 18 they’ve seen more advertising than previous generations did in their entire lives. And because of that, they’ve learned to filter it. They almost never click “just because”. If content doesn’t build trust within the first few seconds, for them it simply doesn’t exist.

Another important factor is gamification and convenience. The more dynamic and engaging the experience is, the better. At the same time, everything must be comfortable and fast. Responses to user actions should be immediate, because patience is limited and people expect results right away.

Sounds like a challenge. Let’s look at what kind of strategy can work with this audience.

Creative preparation

At this stage, we recommend not treating Gen Z as a single segment. The 21–26 age range is only a demographic label. In reality, this audience is made up of many different micro-communities. These may include gamers, crypto enthusiasts, sports fans, self-improvement communities, streamer audiences, Discord communities, and many other niche groups with their own interests and communication styles. So the first step is deciding which context you want to enter. Approaching this audience without segmentation often leads to wasted budget. Gen Z responds strongly to personalization. Content should feel aligned with their interests, almost as if you already understand the environment they live in. Of course, this requires some research. But we never said this would be easy.

Platform choice

When working with Gen Z, choosing a platform is not just a technical decision, it’s a strategic one. They perceive each platform as its own culture, with its own language, pace, and level of trust. Our goal is to speak their language and appear naturally in their environment. Not as someone trying to interrupt their world, but as something interesting that appears organically in their feed. Remember those early-2000s movies with model castings where judges would say “Thank you, next” the moment something didn’t fit? Gen Z treats their feeds exactly the same way.
They will scroll past almost everything, but they will choose only a few pieces of content to engage with.That’s why creatives on social platforms must look like a natural part of the feed. The first seconds decide everything. If content feels out of place, it simply gets skipped.
For push and pop traffic, aggressive clickbait usually doesn’t work well. For native and search traffic, users often double-check information about projects, read reviews, and research products before engaging. This is why it’s important to work with clean products that have a solid reputation.
So the strategy is simple: choose the right platform and adapt your content specifically for it.

A small case study

At Moon Partners, we’ve seen how the behavior of younger audiences changes in practice. One of our affiliates tested an iGaming offer targeting users aged 21–26. The initial creatives were standard for the vertical, banner ads with a bonus offer and a direct registration CTA. However, CTR stayed around 0.4%, and most users simply scrolled past the ads.
After analyzing the audience, it became clear that a large portion of the traffic overlapped with gamer and streamer culture. The creatives were redesigned. Instead of banner ads, the affiliate launched short videos styled as clips from a live stream, where the character “tested their luck” and commented on the gameplay in a familiar, entertaining style.
The content looked like a natural part of the feed rather than a typical advertisement. As a result, CTR almost tripled, and landing page conversions improved noticeably.

For us, this once again confirmed a simple insight: Gen Z reacts far better to content that feels like part of their environment rather than direct advertising.

The takeaway

At this point it becomes clear that what works best with this audience is subtlety and context. The era of simple, straightforward creatives is gradually fading. Marketers need to adapt to new realities, create more native experiences, integrate with audience interests, do deeper research, and stay aware of current trends. This doesn’t mean that traditional approaches no longer work at all. But we are clearly in a transition period, and those who fail to adapt may quickly lose relevance.

If you are exploring traffic opportunities with younger audiences, the Moon Partners team is always open to communication. We’re happy to share our experience, insights, and discuss collaboration formats that work for everyone. Because for us, affiliate marketing is about more than numbers, it’s about honest partnerships, real conversations, and win-win collaborations.

The post Traffic and Gen Z: What actually works? appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.