The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the Illegal Gambling Taskforce’s membership would remain undisclosed, according to the report. The operation will run for 12 months before a review, with work focused on payments, online advertising and illegal land-based businesses.
The taskforce’s review and focus areas may shape how operators address illegal gambling activity and advertising.
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The Betting and Gaming Council opposed calls for a complete UK gambling advertising ban. The trade body argued that prohibiting advertising would not stop gambling.
The Betting and Gaming Council has rejected proposals for a total prohibition on gambling advertising in the UK, contending that a ban would fail to eliminate betting. This stance was reported on 15 September 2026. It followed a push by the Local Health and Global Profits consortium, which asked the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to widen curbs past unlicensed sport sponsorships so that they also cover licensed operators.
Reportedly, the Local Health and Global Profits research consortium urged DCMS to include licensed gambling operators in its proposed sports sponsorship ban. The consortium welcomed the proposal targeting unlicensed gambling sponsorship but called for wider restrictions.
The Local Health and Global Profits (LHGP) research consortium has said the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) consultation on banning unlicensed gambling sponsorship in sport should be widened to cover licensed operators. The consortium described a ban focused on the black market as a necessary step but said DCMS should go further to reduce gambling-related harm. The consultation closed on 9 September and no decision has been announced.
Entain wrote to 10 English football clubs urging them to reconsider offshore betting partnerships. Entain said the partners lacked UK licences and raised concerns about player protection and money laundering. The report places the letters ahead of the close of a government consultation on such sponsorships.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport officials warned the House of Lords that match-fixing poses a threat to sport and the regulated betting market in the UK. Reports to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit showed incidents rose 28% between 2024 and 2025; a committee expects to complete its report on the Macolin Convention by autumn.
The UK government has confirmed plans to block sponsorship and advertising deals with unlicensed gambling operators, extending the restriction beyond sport. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said a second consultation is under way, with the ban scheduled to take effect by August 2027. Officials have not fixed a timeline, and an alternative option would let existing contracts run until August 2028.