The UK Gambling Commission launched an expanded Consumer Voice research framework on 28 May, the commission said. Yonder Consulting, the Behavioural Insights Team, Humankind Research and Savanta will collect and analyse data until 2027, with a possible extension to 2029.
Operators and regulators can use the research framework to inform gambling policy and examine underrepresented consumer groups.
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The UK Gambling Commission reported initial Illegal Gambling Index findings from Great Britain’s 2025–26 survey data. It said 2.5% of people who gambled online in the past year had used illegal websites in the previous four weeks, while a further 1.5% had done so earlier in the year. The Commission said it was too early to assess the effect of increased disruption activity in Q2 2026/27.
The UKGC said on 13 August 2026 that it had published research into consumer participation in illegal lotteries and raffles run by individuals on social media. It commissioned Yonder Consulting to conduct a three-stage study after reports of suspected illegal draws on TikTok increased in 2025 compared with 2024.
New research from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), announced on 13 August 2026, examines consumer behaviour around illegal lotteries and raffles that individuals promote through social media. TikTok is the main platform covered, though Facebook and Instagram also feature. The work was assigned to Yonder Consulting, which carried out a three-stage mixed-methods project, according to a blog post written by Rupam Jagota, the regulator's Research and Impact Manager.
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.
Italy’s Council of Ministers approved a preliminary autonomy agreement with Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto and Liguria on 18 February 2026. The proposal would give the regions greater scope to set gambling-venue distance rules and legislate on prevention of gambling-related harm; it must pass parliamentary review before final approval.