UKGC Expands Unlicensed Gambling Site Blocking as Offshore Operators Target British Players
The Gambling Commission has been tightening its disruption of unlicensed gambling websites that target players in Great Britain, including sites that advertise overseas pool-betting products without a UKGC licence. In some cases those products are Swedish formats such as V64, which remain legal in Sweden but are not automatically legal for British consumers unless offered by a UKGC-licensed operator. This guide explains how the regulator publishes enforcement information, how to spot the warning signs of an offshore operator, and how to use Gamblingpedia UK's independent reviews to choose a licensed casino.
How the UKGC disrupts unlicensed sites
The Commission's latest disruption figures, published in its research into illegal online gambling, show a sharp increase in the quarter ended 30 June. It referred 321 websites to search engines for removal, almost 200 more than in the previous quarter, and made 147 referrals to registrars or hosts. It also issued 145 cease-and-desist notices to illegal operators and 77 to advertisers.
Of that activity, 214 websites were removed from search engines, 108 were geo-blocked or ring-fenced, and 42 advertisements or affiliates linked to black market sites were removed. A further 22 were suspended by registrars or hosts. Since April 2024, the Commission's black market team has issued 3,140 cease-and-desist disruption notices and referred 447,778 URLs to Bing and Google, of which 287,961 have been removed.
Across 160 websites that faced disruption, average engagement fell by 32% after action was taken. The Commission notes that geo-blocking and registrar blocks appear more effective than search engine removal, although geo-IP blocks can be weakened if consumers use a virtual private network.
What the regulator does not publish
A Freedom of Information request asked for annual investigation volumes and platform breakdowns for unlicensed operators from 2020 to 2026, including WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, websites, encrypted messaging services and in-person bookmaking. The Gambling Commission withheld that information, so no public breakdown of unlicensed investigations by platform is currently available. The regulator has therefore not confirmed how many of the listed unlicensed sites operate primarily through each channel.
Spotting an offshore operator
The Commission's public regulatory actions page lets you search recent sanctions and settlements, but an unlicensed operator will not appear there as a licensed business. If a gambling site offers services to British players without showing a UKGC licence number, that is a basic warning sign. In addition, the Commission's disruption work indicates that sites removed from search engines can still be found through direct links, and geo-blocks can be bypassed with a VPN. An operator that encourages you to use a VPN to access its product from Great Britain is almost certainly operating outside UK regulation.
Swedish V64 and unlicensed pool betting
V64 is a Swedish six-leg pool-betting product on harness racing. British players may see it promoted by offshore sites, but offering V64 to consumers in Great Britain without a UKGC operating licence is not permitted. The Commission has been adding domains of this kind to its public list of unlicensed operators as part of the disruption work described above.
If you want to review historical V64 results and dividends without placing a bet, V64 Resultat is an independent Swedish-language resource. It is not a licensed British gambling operator and does not change the legal position for anyone in Great Britain who wants to bet on the product.
Choosing a UKGC-licensed casino
Gamblingpedia UK independently reviews UKGC-licensed online casinos, so you can compare security, game ranges, payment methods and responsible gambling tools before you sign up. Licensed operators must participate in GAMSTOP Online, which lets you block yourself from all British-licensed gambling websites and apps with one request. Unlicensed offshore sites are not part of that scheme, which is another practical reason to avoid them.
If you decide to take a break from gambling, you can also use the free multi-operator self-exclusion schemes for betting shops, casinos, bingo and adult gaming centres. These tools only work with operators that hold a Gambling Commission licence, so using them alongside the regulator's public action pages gives you a clearer picture of who is and is not safe to play with.
The safe route for British players
Check the Gambling Commission's regulatory action pages before depositing, ignore sites that rely on VPN workarounds or do not show a UKGC licence number, and stick to reviews of licensed casinos rather than offshore brands. If you are unsure whether a site is licensed, treat it as unlicensed until you can verify it with the regulator.