If you’re a legitimate operator or regulator in the gambling industry, or even a government, one of the problems you’ll encounter is that of black-market operators, especially online ones. Whereas legitimate operators run a regulated, trustworthy outfit that protects players, black market ones aren’t regulated, don’t pay taxes, and can actively harm players by not paying out winnings or stealing personal and financial details from them.
The internet has made it easier for black market operators to conduct their activities and multiply. Authorities and regulators understand the threat these operators pose to businesses, consumers, and the economy, and are taking measures to combat the clandestine operators. Below is a look at those clamping down on illegal gambling and at the future of gambling legally and on the black market.
The UK Gambling Commission
In 2022, the UK Gambling Commission worked with law enforcement and Facebook to tackle illegal lotteries being conducted on the social media platform. As well as breaking gambling rules and regulations, the operators of these lotteries broke social media rules. More concerning was how they targeted vulnerable members of society. As expected, these operators donated no money to good causes. From the regulator’s perspective, the only winners in these lotteries were the operators themselves.
This is just one of the steps the commission has taken in the last few years in the battle against illegal gambling markets. From April to October 2024, the commission issued 750 cease and desist disruption notices. This regulatory body also referred more than 78,000 URLs to Google, which resulted in 50, 000 being removed from the search engine. Two-hundred-and-fifty-five websites were taken down. The commission is also collecting data and sharing it with other countries as part of its work with the International Association of Gaming Regulators.
Sky News
The Gambling Commission is the chief actor against illegal operators, but journalists have also played a part in the fight against illegal gambling. A Sky News investigation found two illegal operators were advertising on the gaming site Roblox and targeting children. Some children interviewed in the investigation had spent more than £100,000 on gambling at these casinos. As a result of the investigation, the Gambling Commission had the casinos blocked in December 2024.
This story highlights why black-market operators are so bad for the casino world, even though they appear to offer better value. Illegal gambling service operators don’t care where the money comes from (although according to the story, the casinos offered users refunds after shutting down). They lure vulnerable people into playing on them. No one is there to protect these people.
If, however, you visit a genuine casino review site, the site will point you in the direction of legitimate operators that protect players. When you come across offers and bonus codes on the site, such as an exclusive BitStarZ bonus code, you know they’re genuine because these sites help you find the best promotions. They don’t recommend anywhere they don’t trust.
Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
Out in Australia, the ACMA is also battling illegal gambling websites. In November 2024, the regulator blocked four gambling service providers for breaching the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which prevents gambling providers from offering some online services to Australians.
The regulator can block a website if it’s not covered by Australia’s gambling laws. Since the ACMA’s first blocking request in November 2019, it has blocked more than 1,000 illegal gambling websites and affiliate sites.
The future of gambling industries, both legal and illegal
Despite governmental efforts to protect players by setting limits at legitimate casinos, the illegal market could see people shift towards the black market, where they’ll have more freedom to play. This will harm the integrity of the legitimate industry.
While governments and regulators look to protect players through the law, operators are implementing technology to protect players and themselves. The arrival of blockchain has been a big development and more operators are likely to implement the technology, which keeps gaming transparent and fair. Players receive their earnings more quickly and don’t have to submit all their financial details. This second reason is why the use of digital wallets such as PayPal has become a popular way of paying for online gaming services.
As gaming becomes more popular, it has been noted that regulation is becoming more and more complex. This could see operators implementing more regulatory technology to ensure they’re complying with regulations across different jurisdictions, can streamline their reporting, and manage risk.
Black-market gambling operators are a danger to consumers, to legitimate gambling service operators, and to the economy. Every time a shady operator harms a player, they sully the reputation of trustworthy operators in the industry, who run a safe operation that tries to protect players and provide them with an enjoyable gaming experience.
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