- The UK Gambling Commission is preparing to gain new powers under the Criminal Justice Bill that would allow it to seek court orders requiring internet service providers to block illegal gambling sites at network level.
- The move would make it significantly harder for unlicensed sites to reappear under new domains after being taken down.
- Since April 2024, the Commission's Illegal Markets team has issued over 3,100 cease-and-desist notices and referred more than 447,000 URLs for removal from search engines.
Illegal online casinos will be banned in the UK thanks to an enforcement tool, it has emerged.
Licensed casino sites are set to benefit from a significant new measure, after it emerged the UK Gambling Commission is preparing to gain court order powers that would require internet service providers to block access to illegal gambling operators at network level, it has emerged.
The new powers are being developed under the Criminal Justice Bill.
They would allow the Commission to apply to the courts for orders requiring ISPs to block specific illegal gambling domains, making unlicensed sites unreachable for UK users at the network level rather than relying solely on the platforms themselves to act.
| Enforcement tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cease-and-desist notices | 3,100+ issued since April 2024, requiring illegal operators to stop serving UK players |
| URL referrals to Google and Bing | 447,000+ illegal gambling URLs referred for removal from search results |
| Payment provider disruption | Commission works with banks and processors to cut off illegal sites from payment infrastructure |
| ISP-level domain blocking (incoming) | Court orders would require internet providers to block illegal sites at network level, making them unreachable for UK users |
| £26 million additional funding | Expanding the Illegal Markets team and improving technical detection of unlicensed operators |
It's a meaningful step up from the Commission's current toolkit.
Since April 2024, the UKGC's Illegal Markets team has issued more than 3,100 cease-and-desist and disruption notices and referred over 447,000 URLs linked to illegal gambling to Google and Bing for removal.
Those efforts have had an effect, but the Commission has also faced criticism for not acting fast enough on prominent unlicensed sites that remain accessible to UK players.
A Bloomberg investigation published on 17 June 2026 found that unlicensed sites were still accessible to UK users despite not holding UKGC licences, prompting accusations that the regulator had been too slow to act.
The Commission has pointed to the current limitations of its enforcement powers. ISP-level blocking would remove one of those constraints.
The Commission has also been allocated an additional £26 million in government funding to expand its Illegal Markets team and improve technical detection capabilities.
My View
OLBG's Casino Content Manager David Coleman believes the new powers, once in place, will make a real difference for players trying to navigate the market safely.
He said: "The current approach catches a lot of illegal activity. But blocked sites frequently reappear under new domains. ISP-level blocking makes that significantly harder.
"For players, the risk of landing on an unlicensed site without realising it is real. Social media advertising and convincing site designs mean it is not always obvious.
"The check that works now is the same one that will work when the new powers are in place: find the UKGC licence number at the bottom of the page before you deposit anything. If it is not there, leave."
For a full comparison of UKGC-licensed operators, my guide to the best casino sites only lists sites with a current licence.
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