UK Gambling Commission Increases Removal of Illegal Gambling Links from Search Results

The UK Gambling Commission has significantly stepped up its efforts to remove illegal gambling links from search results. According to data presented by Interim Chief Executive Sarah Gardner, between April and September 2026 the Commission reported 7,824,932 addresses to search engines, and 3,038,969 of them were removed.

In the same six-month period, the Commission sent 1,005 cease and desist notices to advertisers and operators. This figure is higher than the 741 notices issued over the whole of the previous financial year. For comparison, in the 2025/26 financial year the Commission reported 397,527 addresses and recorded 266,667 removals.

Gardner said the Commission had expanded its capacity following additional government funding. However, she noted that these figures reflect only part of the organisation's activity and that the focus of its interventions may change over time. During the April to September period, 2,201 websites were directed to be removed from search engines. For the whole of 2025/26, this number was 1,068. In the same six months, 1,668 websites were closed or geo-blocked. In the whole of the previous year, the number of sites blocked by this method was 1,134.

According to the Commission's latest dashboard, 311 illegal gambling sites were blocked in the second quarter of 2026/27. Among blocked sites with sufficient data, 77% saw an estimated decline in traffic after intervention. The Commission also notes that traffic estimates are not proof that every change was caused solely by blocking.