Gambling Commission advertises £65k head for £16.6bn black market

The UK Gambling Commission has advertised a senior “Head of Illegal Markets” role with a £65,000 base salary to lead enforcement against an estimated £16.6 billion unlicensed gambling market in 2025.

Acting chief executive Sarah Gardner welcomed a separate allocation of £26 million in new government funding over three years, saying the money would allow the regulator to address land-based illegal gambling “arguably for the first time in a serious way.” The job posting appears during a leadership transition at the regulator.

Research cited by industry groups estimates the UK unlicensed gambling market at £16.6 billion in 2025, up from about £5 billion in 2019. Other analysis projects unlicensed operators could spend more than £1 billion on UK advertising by 2028 and found illegal sites accounted for roughly 42 percent of the country’s £1.9 billion gambling ad spend in 2026.

Regulator officials reported recent enforcement activity: in 2025-26 the Commission issued 741 cease-and-desist notices, reported almost 400,000 URLs to search engines, referred over 1,000 websites for delisting, and disrupted 1,134 additional sites through takedown or geo-blocking. Executive director Tim Miller said the regulator would “continue to ramp up our action against the illegal market” and urged major platforms and payment providers to coordinate responses.

The advertised salary has prompted criticism in industry channels and on professional networks, with trade groups and observers questioning whether the pay and timing will attract senior candidates able to coordinate large-scale enforcement alongside the acting chief executive and the new funding.

Andrew Rhodes stepped down as chief executive on April 30; Gardner, formerly deputy chief executive, is acting CEO while the board seeks a permanent replacement. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport established a dedicated illegal gambling task force in January, led by gambling minister Baroness Twycross, to coordinate action across regulators, law enforcement and major platforms.

The Commission is also examining the role of cryptocurrencies in gambling. Its Industry Forum has been asked to assess how crypto assets could be used to fund regulated gambling under an incoming Financial Conduct Authority regime due to take effect on October 25, 2027. Under that framework, operators offering crypto-funded gambling would need FCA authorization.

Regulator officials noted that enforcement outcomes will depend on the Commission’s ability to recruit senior talent for the new role, sustained cooperation from online platforms and payment providers, and the delivery of coordinated action through the government task force.