UKGC's Tim Miller Calls Out Meta and Challenges Industry on Illegal Gambling

Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller delivered a forceful challenge to the iGaming industry at ICE Barcelona 2026, demanding that suppliers, affiliates, and tech platforms choose sides in the fight against illegal gambling—with particular criticism directed at Meta.

Enforcement Results: April-December 2025Miller outlined the Commission's recent enforcement activity against unlicensed operators:

592 Cease and Desist notices issued to advertisers and operators327,964 URLs reported to search engines, with 203,571 removed839 websites referred for delisting627 websites taken down or geo-blockedMeta Singled Out for CriticismThe UKGC chief reserved his sharpest words for Meta, accusing the social media giant of knowingly allowing illegal casino advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Miller noted that "not on GamStop" sites—targeting self-excluded gamblers—are easily discoverable through Meta's own ad library.

"If we can find them then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look," Miller stated, adding that Meta's suggestion for regulators to deploy their own AI monitoring tools was inadequate. "It could leave you with the impression they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals."

Challenge to Licensed OperatorsMiller called on licensed operators to commercially isolate suppliers that serve both regulated and illegal markets, posing three questions for industry consideration:

How are illegal market threats addressed in procurement and commercial decisions?What due diligence confirms suppliers aren't working with unlicensed competitors?What contractual provisions prevent or penalise supplier relationships with illegal operators?"Collectively, we need to make working with or supplying unlicensed operators commercially toxic," he said.

£26 Million Funding BoostThe UK Government has committed an additional £26 million over three years for illegal gambling enforcement. The upcoming Crime and Policing Bill will also grant the Commission new powers to suspend IP addresses and domain names linked to illegal gambling.

Miller emphasised that success requires collective action: "No one actor in this space can win this battle alone."