GamStop is going directly to big tech companies to prevent illegal operators targeting self-excluded players in the UK.
GamStop has met with Meta and Reddit as it continues to battle against the surge of non-GamStop casinos targeting self-excluded players in the UK.
Non-GamStop casinos are a strand of the black market that has arisen to specifically target players who have used GamStop, the UK’s self-exclusion service.
Due to not being licensed by the Gambling Commission, often vulnerable players can circumvent GamStop’s blocking technology and access these platforms, which are heavily advertised across social media.
Speaking during SBC’s Player Protection Day, GamStop’s head of external affairs, Matt Burgiss, confirmed the organisation is seeking to reduce the visibility of advertising across social media platforms.
Unlicensed casinos in the UK have become notorious for targeting players who have already used the country’s self-exclusion system. In fact social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit and TikTok are flooded with such operators promoting themselves on the fact their services fall outside the oversight of the service.
Earlier this year, GamStop’s chief marketing officer, Katie Reynolds-Jones, revealed that Reddit’s chat bots have been found to recommend self-excluded individuals to access non-GamStop casinos.
Burgiss said: “We’ve started to do some work with big tech companies like Meta and Reddit and things like that to try and get those adverts taken down as quickly as possible and recognised through their AI software.”
However, concerns continue to be raised over an apparent lack of action by social media platforms to address the issue.
Meta has come under increasing scrutiny over its lack of action around scam ads – not just related to the gambling industry. An investigation by Which? found ads promoting investments, insurance, credit or financial advice without authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Outside of the UK, the Dutch trade body VNLOK has found that 97% of gambling ads on Meta are from the unlicensed sector, underlining the battle facing organisations like GamStop.
In light of the size of the UK’s black market, which is estimated to have reached stakes of £16.6bn annually, Burgiss called for greater collaboration between stakeholders.
He said: “The black market is a serious threat to vulnerable people that we obviously serve. It’s a very complex issue. It’s very difficult. It’s not a one-person or one-organisation thing that can be solved.
“It’s really about everyone playing their part within that. I think the government, certainly in the UK for us, have a part to play. But in other regulatory spaces as well. I think the industry itself. Anyone that’s using a supplier that is also supplying the black market needs to have a look at that as well because it’s funding [these adverts].”
Earlier this year, the UK government formed the Illegal Gambling Task Force alongside the Gambling Commission and injected £26m in extra funding across three years to continue its efforts against illegal operators.
However, concerns remain the government is still yet to grasp the full scale of the illegal sector, which is estimated to have reached £16.6bn in stakes in 2025, according to H2 Gambling Capital.
Entain’s group general counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer, Simon Zinger, described the £26m figure from the government as a ‘drop in the ocean’ when speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM.
Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Burgiss added: “There’s a lot of work going on from our end, but it isn’t something that we can solve alone. We’re just trying to collaborate with as many different [stakeholders] because it’s very difficult for our consumers to see, and it’s that extra kind of push into a market that’s extremely dangerous.”
