Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Gambling Commission, took the stage during the ICE Barcelona 2025 summit and delivered an in-depth update on the current situation regarding gambling regulation in the United Kingdom in front of a global iGaming audience.
More specifically, Rhodes touched upon the latest developments in the gambling market in Great Britain, highlighting the Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in the country that reached £15.6 billion ($19.23 billion) in 2024, making for a new all-time record.
Despite Rhodes revealing that participation in gambling remained the same, with 48% of UK adults saying they gamble on a monthly basis, the preferences of the consumers are allegedly shifting.
From here, the CEO said that horseracing reached a record Gross Gambling Yield, whereas online casino games, such as online slots, are an ever-increasing constant that makes for a substantial part of the market share.
Rapid growth is also attributed to large society lotteries, which have surpassed £1 billion ($1.23 billion) in annual sales for the first time in British history. Despite not being regulated like gambling, participation in prize drop betting also noted a record-breaking surge in activity, rivalling even traditional sports betting.
Though Rhodes praised the numbers as a good sign that the UK gaming scene is thriving, the CEO still said that the Gambling Commission will remain committed to fulfilling the 2023 Gambling Act Review recommendations in order to ensure fairness and transparency.
The vast majority of this industry wants to do the right thing and wants the clarity the implementation of the 2023 White Paper would bring.
One of the most crucial points of Rhodes’s speech was the battle with illegal gambling operators, highlighting the ongoing efforts of the UK Gambling Commission to interfere with unlicensed gambling activities.
One indicator of this effort is the dismantling of 264 illegal gambling websites, the 770+ cease-and-desist orders to gambling operators and advertisers, and the removal of 64,000 URLs by search engines., with Rhodes stressing that licensed operators have to show responsibility or face stern punishments and/or license revocations.
The Chief also said that cross-border cooperation is still the most effective way to battle illegal gambling, underlining the key role of the Gambling Commission in creating the Illegal Gambling Working Group in the International Association of Gaming Regulators that fosters cross-continent collaboration.
Respectable regulators around the world all want the same thing – illegal gambling to stop, which is why we are sharing information to help them as well as us.
Lastly, Rhdoes talked about the main goals of the Gambling Commission in 2025, stating the regulator’s plans to emphasize fairness, transparency, and player protection, mentioning the pressing need for cooperation and open dialogue between operators, stakeholders, and regulators.
