No spike in UK illegal gambling complaints during pandemic
New data released by the Gambling Commission shows there has been no increase in the number of complaints about illegal gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Complaints have been stable over the past 12 month and this has continued during the Government-enforced lockdown in the UK.
There were a total of 12 complaints in March and 11 in April, which is consistent with previous months.
A team of specialists monitor any reports of illegal gambling complaints and then use a numer of tools to combat illegal websites.
Richard Watson, Gambling Commission executive director, said: “Our data does not indicate there has been an increase in any illegal gambling in Britain during the COVID-19 crisis.
“It is an area we monitor carefully and where we find problems we use our broad range of investigatory powers, alongside stakeholders such as software providers, payment businesses and hosting companies.
“Tackling illegal websites and unlicensed operators is challenging and it is also resource-intensive; but we are committed to continuing our work in this area to protect consumers here in Britain.”
Last week, the Gambling Commission issued new guidance for online operators to ensure customers are protected during lockdown.
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