Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes warned that crypto gambling could pose a regulatory challenge within 18 months to two years. He said the government must decide whether and how to regulate the activity before the commission could enforce rules set by Parliament.
Any government decision could shape whether the commission can regulate crypto gambling.
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The UK Gambling Commission is exploring whether betting operators could offer cryptoasset payments, executive director Tim Miller said. He linked the regulator’s consideration to wider cryptoasset legislation and consumer demand; the report described the move as tentative.
The Gambling Commission said it removed 3,038,969 URLs in the first six months of the 2026/27 financial year, after reporting 266,667 removals in the previous full year. Interim chief executive Sarah Gardner said the authority had also sent 1,005 cease-and-desist notices between April and September 2026 and presented survey results showing 4% of online gamblers, excluding National Lottery players, had used unauthorised sites in the 12 months before April 2026.
The UKGC had 3,038,969 URLs removed in the first six months of the 2026/27 financial year, according to interim chief executive Sarah Gardner. Gardner presented the results at the CEO Briefing on 5 November 2026. In the same period 7,824,932 URLs were reported to search engines. In the previous financial year 397,527 URLs were reported and 266,667 were removed.
The High Court rejected challenges by The New Lottery Company and Northern & Shell to the Gambling Commission’s award of the fourth UK National Lottery licence to Allwyn. The Commission said the ruling found that the contested changes to the licence were not substantial; Northern & Shell said it planned to appeal.
Sarah Gardner, acting chief executive of the Gambling Commission, spoke at its CEO Briefing on 5 November, according to the Commission. She said the regulator would continue engagement with the sector and discussed work on the Gambling Act Review, the National Lottery and illegal gambling. Gardner also acknowledged that the previous week’s Budget had introduced changes affecting parts of the sector.
Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner gave the speech at the CEO Briefing on 5 November 2026. She addressed the audience as Acting Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission. The published text is a draft version, so the words actually spoken may vary a little.
Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said on 27 February that participation in free prize draws had risen substantially and was approaching betting levels. Wave three of the Great Britain Gambling Survey covered 4,675 adults in the three months to the end of October; Rhodes noted that these draws are outside the survey's gambling data because they are not regulated under the Lotteries Act.