UKGC says VPN growth hinders measurement of illegal gambling
Regulation · SectorWire deskSource published
Summary
The UK Gambling Commission has said rising VPN use, particularly after the Online Safety Act, makes it harder to measure illegal gambling. The regulator has built a 30% VPN adjustment into its methodology and revised its assumptions using Ofcom and Similarweb data. Lawyers and industry figures quoted in the report disagree on whether VPNs undermine regulated markets.
Why it matters
Operators and regulators cannot size the black market reliably while VPN-obscured traffic skews the evidence used to justify enforcement and market controls.
Cite as: SectorWire, “UKGC says VPN growth hinders measurement of illegal gambling”, 5 June 2026, https://sectorwire.news/item/ukgc-says-vpn-growth-hinders-measurement-of-illegal-gambling/