BGC Rejects Black Market Supply Claims After UK Hearing

UK Trade Body Rejects Black Market Supply Allegations – Debate Highlights Limits of Gambling Commission Powers

Key Takeaways

• The UK Betting and Gaming Council has rejected allegations that some of its members supplied games to unlicensed websites.
• Claims were raised during a House of Lords committee hearing and concerned the sites Donbet and Mystake.
• The BGC states that its members deny supplying the black market and points to possible cloning of games and intellectual property theft.
• The UK Gambling Commission currently lacks domain blocking powers but is expected to gain the ability to seek court orders against specific domains in the coming months.

Allegations Raised at House of Lords Hearing

During a House of Lords committee hearing on 17 June, a campaign group alleged that several game supplier members of the UK Betting and Gaming Council were connected to unlicensed gambling websites. The claims focused on the domains Donbet and Mystake.

Illegal gambling has become a central topic in UK betting policy discussions. The government has committed funding and established a task force aimed at tackling the black market. At the same time, licensed operators have repeatedly highlighted concerns about competition from unregulated providers.

According to the report cited at the hearing, certain suppliers were accused of having their games available on the two named sites. However, when SBC News created accounts on Donbet and Mystake, none of the games from the suppliers listed in the report were accessible. As a result, the publication stated that it was unable to substantiate the claims.

BGC Responds and Cites Possible Game Cloning

Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive Officer of the Betting and Gaming Council, publicly rejected the accusations. She stated that any suggestion that BGC members do not take black market activity seriously is completely false.

Hurst said the council had spoken to all members referenced in the allegations and that they had categorically denied supplying the black market. She also noted that she had not seen the evidence behind the report despite requesting it before publication.

According to Hurst, the issue may instead reflect the sophistication of illegal operators. She pointed to the possibility that criminal networks clone legitimate games, replicate branding, and use stolen intellectual property to make products appear authentic. She described this as a core part of the problem.

The cloning of popular games through stolen source code and reverse engineering is not presented as a new risk. Once a game has been replicated, copying logos and branding can make the product appear legitimate to users, even if it is unauthorised.

Potential Consequences for Licensed Members

The BGC emphasised that proven involvement in supplying the black market would carry serious consequences. Hurst stated that any member found to be supplying illegal operators would not be eligible for BGC membership.

In addition, such a breach would risk the loss of a Gambling Commission licence. Holding a licence from the UK Gambling Commission is a requirement for legal operation in the regulated market. The statement underlines that regulatory and trade body sanctions would apply if allegations were substantiated.

For users of online betting and gaming services, licence status is a key marker of regulatory oversight. Allegations involving licensed suppliers and unlicensed platforms therefore carry potential implications for market integrity and consumer protection.

Questions Over Gambling Commission Domain Blocking Powers

The report presented at the House of Lords hearing also criticised the UK Gambling Commission for failing to geoblock the domains in question. Geoblocking can restrict access to specific websites within a jurisdiction.

It was highlighted that, unlike some other European regulators, the UK Gambling Commission does not currently have direct domain blocking powers. This means it cannot independently order internet service providers to block access to specific gambling domains.

However, this situation is expected to change in the coming months. The Commission is set to gain the authority to request court orders against specific domains. Once implemented, this would provide a legal mechanism to target identified websites through the courts.

Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy at the Commission, recently addressed related issues during an appearance on the iGaming Daily Podcast. While specific comments were not detailed in the source material, his participation signals ongoing regulatory discussion around enforcement tools and black market controls.

Ongoing Focus on the UK Black Market

Illegal gambling remains one of the most prominent issues in UK betting policy. The government has allocated funds and formed a task force to address black market activity. At the same time, the licensed industry continues to raise concerns about unregulated competition.

The latest allegations and the response from the BGC highlight the complexity of enforcement. Claims of supplier involvement intersect with technical issues such as cloning, intellectual property theft, and the current limits of regulatory powers.

For international observers and users who compare licensed and unlicensed platforms, the case illustrates how disputes over supply chains, enforcement authority, and domain access form part of the broader debate over market regulation.

Our Assessment

The dispute between the campaign group and the Betting and Gaming Council centres on allegations that licensed suppliers may have been connected to unlicensed gambling sites. The BGC denies these claims and points to the possibility of cloned games and stolen intellectual property. At the same time, the discussion has drawn attention to the UK Gambling Commission’s current lack of domain blocking powers and the planned introduction of court ordered domain measures. Together, these elements reflect the ongoing regulatory focus on black market activity and enforcement mechanisms in the UK gambling sector.