The UKGC has been coming down hard on black market gambling sites, and according to the gambling regulator, it’s working.
One of the methods they’ve been using, aside from raising awareness of the sites, is geo-blocking.
Geo-blocking is the practice of restricting access to content or services based on your location/IP address. In the case of these websites, the UKGC would remove these sites based on their locations.
UKGC and Geo-Blocking
In their latest research, the UKGC has removed over 200 unauthorised gambling websites from search engines in Q4 of 2025. However, 321 sites were recommended for removal.
The remaining 108 sites were geo-blocked, and further advertisements and affiliates with links to these sites were removed.
Through the removals, the UKGC said geo-blocking was one of the “more effective methods of disruption”, arguing that blocking stops entire access, while search engine removal only makes websites more difficult to find.
However, they did acknowledge that this is only effective for those not using VPNs, as VPNs allow users to temporarily change their IP address to appear in other parts of the world.
This is a common problem for those who want to reach inaccessible content in their region. This is common for those who sometimes want to watch certain TV shows or access banned websites.
Will Geo-Blocking Work In The Long Run?
That depends on who you ask. The UKGC has said unauthorised operators are getting creative with how they find loopholes to operate. One of the ways they can do this is through URL changes and using unrelated host websites to embed and promote gambling content.
To tackle this, the UKGC should also monitor host websites and backlinks, so it can identify if the links trace back to unauthorised gambling websites.
The UKGC reported a 32% decrease in engagement of disrupted sites, but it is not the end for the gambling black market.
While geo-blocking seems to be more effective than other methods, VPNs and location manipulation can bypass location-based rules of gambling regulators.
Since they can only cover the UK, it is hard to block other sites that serve the UK but are based elsewhere.
Still, the gambling regulators appear optimistic and are employing new methods alongside geo-blocking to stop the operation of black market sites.
The regulator is strengthening its response to unlicensed gambling by partnering with hosting platforms, search engines, and content providers to remove illegal material and gather data from operators.
It is also expanding international cooperation with other regulators to share intelligence and align enforcement. Machine learning is being used to analyse data from illegal sites, while new collaborations with payment providers aim to block transactions to these operators.
Additionally, the UKGC is creating cease-and-desist measures for digital marketing linked to illegal gambling and encouraging industry players to share intelligence to help curb harmful, unregulated activity.
