The UK Gambling Commission has published research identifying 3,426 bank transactions linked to unlicensed gambling operators within a dataset of 157.2 million transactions. The analysis covered records from 38,000 consenting individuals between July 2018 and July 2026 and identified 179 people connected to the flagged payments.
How the analysis worked
Researchers used transaction descriptions and merchant-name fields to match payments against suspected illegal operators. The first method identified 821 transactions and the second 2,628, with 23 overlapping records. The resulting total represents a very small share of the full dataset, and the Commission notes that the panel is not nationally representative.
The research also found a higher proportion of people with elevated problem-gambling scores among those whose illegal payments were detected. The Commission cautions that the sample and methodology have limitations and that the results should not be compared directly with broader national survey figures.
Implications for affiliates and payment partners
The study demonstrates how transaction descriptors and merchant data can help identify activity connected to unlicensed operators. Affiliates promoting UK-facing brands should ensure their partners hold the necessary authorisations, while payment providers may face closer scrutiny of merchant onboarding and monitoring processes.