The Ethical Gambling Forum (EGF) is bringing operators, regulators, technology providers and consumer-education specialists together in London next month to work out practical responses to the illegal gambling market.
The executive working session, titled Confronting the Illegal Gambling Market Together: Shared Responsibility, Shared Solutions, takes place on Thursday 12 November 2026 from 08:30 to 13:00 at the central London offices of law firm Mishcon de Reya. It will run under the Chatham House Rule.
From problems to commitments
Tim Miller of GamReg Consulting, a former executive at the UK Gambling Commission, will open the session. Participants will then look at what pushes consumers towards unlicensed sites, including friction in the customer journey, verification checks, product availability, cryptocurrency, promotions and how well players understand the protections licensed sites offer. Advertising loopholes, affiliate networks, influencer promotion and the limits of enforcement are also on the agenda.
The second half moves to responses. Groups will work through scenarios such as offshore crypto casinos, self-excluded players reaching illegal operators through social media promotions, and sports fans targeted by unlicensed affiliates. A closing action lab will cover:
- disrupting illegal advertising and payment flows
- cross-border enforcement and data sharing
- AI-enabled detection and affiliate accountability
- smarter regulatory approaches
Each working group will be asked for a deliverable achievable within 90 days, a collaborative initiative and a longer-term strategic or regulatory reform, each with measurable success indicators and named owners. The results will form an Ethical Gambling Forum Action Charter, to be circulated after the event.
Places are limited and are being allocated by the EGF.
