The UK Gambling Commission is recruiting for a newly created head of illegal markets role, according to a report published on 7 May 2026. The successful candidate will report to John Pierce, the commission’s director of enforcement and intelligence.
The new role adds a senior post focused on illegal gambling markets within the commission’s enforcement and intelligence structure.
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The Gambling Commission supported South Yorkshire Police operations in Sheffield and Doncaster on 4 and 5 August. Officers found 16 illegal betting terminals, cash and gold, and arrested three people; the action involved several regional and local partners.
According to the regulator's notice, the Gambling Commission backed a joint police effort in Sheffield and Doncaster aimed at unlawful betting and suspected organised crime. The activity took place on 4 and 5 August under Operation Duxford and Operation Snaresbrook.
The Gambling Commission reported findings from UK research into consumer participation in unlicensed lotteries and raffles on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. The regulator said consumers often focused more on whether a draw seemed genuine and offered a realistic chance of winning than on its legality, and identified risks when users were directed to third-party channels.
The UK Gambling Commission said its enforcement work removed 252 illegal lotteries from social media over the past 12 months. Its commissioned research found that consumers often judged whether draws seemed genuine rather than checking their legal status, and that only around one in five TikTok participants checked formal indicators of compliance.
Participants at INTERPOL’s 16th annual Match-Fixing Task Force meeting in Portugal discussed investigative challenges linked to manipulation in eSports competitions and betting-related fraud. The report also says the UK Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit received just under 600 reports a year, with total reports of possible sports manipulation and corruption rising 28% between 2024 and 2025; that increase was not specific to eSports.
The 16th annual meeting of INTERPOL's Match-Fixing Task Force is being held in Portugal, where participants discussed the difficulty of investigating manipulation in eSports competitions and fraud linked to betting, according to the meeting's organisers. The gathering brings together law enforcement representatives, sports bodies and private-sector parties working on competition integrity.
Evolution Malta Holding Limited will pay £4.75 million after the Gambling Commission found its games were available on six unlicensed websites accessible in Great Britain. The investigation identified weaknesses in its money laundering risk assessment, supply-chain controls and customer due diligence.
Evolution Malta Holding Limited will pay a £4.75m settlement after a Gambling Commission investigation found its games were available on six unlicensed websites accessible to consumers in Great Britain, according to a Commission public statement published on 23 July 2026. The Commission said the case exposed failings serious enough for it to consider licence suspension.