Miller Challenges Meta Over Illegal Gambling Ads at ICE Barcelona 2026

_{Executive Director of teh Gambling Commission, Tim Miller gave a galvanising speech to attendees of ICE. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

The UK’s gambling industry is facing mounting pressure from unlicensed operators, Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller told delegates at ICE Barcelona on Monday, underscoring the risk to licensed operators, players and public funds.

Miller used his address at the global gaming forum to spotlight the scale and sophistication of illegal online gambling, to press industry partners to act, and to challenge tech platforms that run adverts for offshore casinos aimed at British users.

His remarks come as the UK regulator continues publishing a series of detailed reports on the illegal gambling market, identifying who plays on unlicensed sites and why, and outlining disruption efforts over the past year. 

Illegal Operators “Undermine the Market”

Miller warned the illegal sector threatens multiple stakeholders. He said the regulated market, consumers and even taxpayers were at risk, and that the industry must choose sides in the fight against unlicensed gambling.

“The licensed industry is under threat from illegal operators. Consumers are under threat from illegal operators. The taxpayer is under threat from illegal operators.” 

 - Tim Miller, Gambling Commission

He framed the issue as a choice: regulated, safe markets versus “harmful, exploitative, tax dodging criminal enterprises.”

“It’s time to pick a side and … start asking ‘Whose side are you on?’”

— Tim Miller, Gambling Commission

_{Photos taken of the Q&A after the speech featuring Nadine Dereza and Ismail Vali. (Image: Gambling Commission/Linkedin)}

Why This Matters for Players and Operators

Illegal gambling sites operate outside UK law and protections, often offering access to gambling products without the safeguards of regulated operators. UKGC research has found that a significant share of illegal market users are self‑excluded players who turn to offshore sites when blocked from licensed platforms, a trend echoed by recent reporting on deaths linked to predatory offshore operators targeting vulnerable gamblers. 

For licensed online casino operators, the growing illegal market erodes revenue, undercuts responsible gambling reforms, and complicates compliance efforts. The UKGC has tracked around 1,000 unlicensed online operators targeting British consumers, particularly those offering cryptocurrency betting or promoted through social media. 

The Gambling Commission’s own data shows hundreds of enforcement actions, including cease‑and‑desist notices and URL takedowns, aimed at disrupting illegal sites, but regulators concede it’s a complex and adaptive problem that requires collaboration. 

A Role for Industry, and a Challenge to Tech Platforms

Miller urged the gambling industry to use its commercial influence to “strangle” the black market by refusing to work with suppliers that also serve illegal operators.

“Collectively, we need to make working with or supplying unlicensed operators commercially toxic.”
— Tim Miller, Gambling Commission

He also called out social media companies such as Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, for hosting adverts that promote illegal casinos marketed to British users, including so‑called “not on GamStop” platforms targeting self‑excluded players.

“If we can find them then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look.”
— Tim Miller, Gambling Commission

Miller said that regulatory resources are currently being used to perform work that tech platforms should be doing themselves, monitoring and blocking illegal gambling ads.

_{Tim Miller urged industry to 'strangle' the black market. (Image: Tim Miller/Linkedin)}

What 2026 Could Hold

Miller highlighted increased UK government backing to tackle the problem. The autumn 2025 budget allocated an additional £26 million over three years to expand the Commission’s illegal gambling fight, signalling stronger enforcement ahead.

He also noted upcoming powers in the Crime and Policing Act that, once enacted, will allow regulators to suspend IP addresses and domain names linked to illegal gambling, a step toward broader online enforcement.

Looking forward, the regulator aims to combine regulation, enforcement, technology and industry cooperation to disrupt offshore operators and reduce player harm.

“No one actor in this space can win this battle alone, we need to work together.”
— Tim Miller, Gambling Commission

Players: Unlicensed gambling sites offer minimal consumer protections, and may target vulnerable individuals, including those self‑excluded via schemes like GamStop.
 

Operators: Illegal operators siphon revenue, erode trust, and complicate compliance, while licensed operators are being asked to strengthen due diligence on suppliers and affiliates.
 

Industry and Regulators: 2026 is shaping up as a year of heightened regulatory focus and potential new legal tools to disrupt illegal markets.