Black ops
UKGC sheds light on its black market countermeasures
The director of enforcement talks up the Financial Intelligence Team.
The NCAA: We’re no Kalshi partner.
The sports data providers explain their own predictions dilemma.
The NBA betting scandal sparks Michigan review.
Intelligence report
FIT for purpose: The UK’s gambling authorities are “already seeing results” from the work being undertaken by its Financial Intelligence Team (FIT) in combating black market activity, according to John Pierce, director of enforcement and intelligence at the UK Gambling Commission.
In a blog published at the end of October, Pierce detailed how the Commission is tackling the black market threat.
Overcoming obstacles: Discussing the “notorious” difficulties encountered in dismantling illegal markets, Pierce said the FIT “acts as a key link with law enforcement.”
“We are already seeing results in relation to the targeting of financial accounts associated with illegal gambling, though the international nature of the issue presents obvious investigative challenges,” he wrote.
Search party: Pierce said that the Commission has invested in specialist tools to support the illegal markets team to conduct secure website reviews, anonymized access and targeted test purchasing.
“These capabilities allow us to verify jurisdictional targeting, gather evidence and assess the availability of illegal gambling products to British consumers,” he added,
While Pierce admitted the Commission can’t review every site, this approach does help it focus on those it believes are “causing the most harm, or where our disruption efforts will have the greatest impact.”
At source: Pierce noted that at a practical level, test purchasing remains “challenging” due to identification and payment verification requirements, but it provides critical evidence – especially banking details that can be referred to Visa and Mastercard.
He added that work is also underway with PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay to extend the Commission’s reach.
Hide and seek: Any key element of the FIT work comes via its efforts to reduce the visibility of illegal operators, a task that it hopes will be achieved via developing referral pathways with the major search engines.
Pierce said these partnerships enable automatic delisting of illegal content, intelligence sharing and early disruption.
“While sites often reappear, this remains a valuable tactic,” he added.
Ant-social measures: He noted the Commission is also expanding its efforts to include social media platforms such as Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube to tackle illegal advertising.
Looking ahead, he said the Commission is strengthening its understanding of advertising channels and financial flows.
To this end, collaborating more closely with the financial sector will be key.
“Exploring options to develop joint initiatives with other regulators internationally is also taking place to develop a coordinated international response,” he said.
The name of the game: The efforts of the regulator naturally encourage an equal and opposite reaction on the part of the black market operators. “Illegal operators are rapidly adapting their tactics, using domain rotation, cloaking and embedding gambling content in unrelated websites,” Pierce explained.
Some sites change their display depending on the device used, while others employ “unusual advertising methods” such as Google Maps to draw in users.
“These behaviors, while presenting new challenges, indicate that illegal operators are having to adapt their approach in response to our work and our interventions are having some impact.”
Pierce noted that traffic data from 160 websites targeted for enforcement action shows a 32% drop in UK user engagement following reassessment after three months.
Under threat: Pierce said the Commission recognizes the illegal market will continue to evolve, with trends including crypto-based payments, AI-generated branding, copied gaming content and targeted social media promotions.
He added that emerging threats such as generative AI, deepfakes and decentralized platforms will require the regulator to further strengthen its technical knowledge and capabilities in future.
Increase Operator Margins with EDGE Boost Today!
EDGE Boost is the first dedicated bank account for bettors.
Increase Cash Access: On/Offline with $250k/day debit limits
No Integration or Costs: Compatible today with all operators via VISA debit rails
Incremental Non-Gaming Revenue: Up to 1% operator rebate on transactions
Lower Costs: Increase debit throughput to reduce costs against ACH/Wallets
Eliminate Chargebacks and Disputes
Eliminate Debit Declines
Built-in Responsible Gaming tools
To learn more, contact Matthew Cullen, chief strategy officer on Matthew@edgemarkets.io
+More
Argentina’s federal government has introduced stricter rules for gambling advertising across TV, radio and social media. Resolution 446/2025 mandates all ads include the warnings “Compulsive Gambling is Harmful to Your Health” and “+18.” The messages must appear on screen for at least five seconds or be read clearly on radio. The government said the measure aims to simplify ads and better highlight gambling-related risks.
See you in court: The Kenny Alexander bribery case has taken a key step: a provisional trial date of February 14, 2028 was set at Southwark Crown Court, covering allegations against Alexander and 11 other defendants.
NetBet penalty: The UK Gambling Commission has imposed a £650,000 financial penalty on NetBet Enterprises, the operator of netbet.co.uk, following an investigation that uncovered serious anti-money-laundering and social responsibility failures. The regulator found NetBet had placed “over-reliance on financial triggers,” allowing customers to spend disproportionately to their net income. It also failed to adequately assess key risks such as high-stakes gambling, third-country nationals and third-party business relationships.
India: The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a hearing for November 26, 2025 on multiple petitions challenging the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 – a sweeping new central law that effectively bans real-money online gaming across the country. A two-judge bench directed the government to file a full, substantive response to the main petitions.
Thousands of Indonesian nationals are believed to be running online gambling operations in the Philippines connected to a network managed from Cambodia, according to security minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra. Speaking at a Jakarta AML/CFT committee session, Yusril cited information from the Philippine minister of justice that thousands of Indonesians control gambling activities coordinated from Cambodia.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a Match Bingo ad appearing on the 442oons YouTube channel did not breach gambling advertising rules after a complaint alleged it appealed to children. The ad featured animated Tottenham Hotspur players and a presenter promoting bingo during football matches. Match Bingo and 442oons provided audience data showing that over 90% of viewers were aged 18 or older, and the video was marked “Not Made for Kids,” which satisfied the ASA.
Funding news
Taking a stake: UK-based player-verification platform Clearstake has secured £1.5m in a new funding round led by senior industry investors. The investment will support the rollout of its ‘ID by Bank’ product, which enables operators to verify users via their banking apps, with the goal of streamlining compliance workflows, reducing manual review and enhancing first-depositor conversion while minimizing fraud. Backers include prominent figures from the iGaming sector, underscoring strong industry confidence in compliance-centric innovation.
Compliance & Legal Specialist – Johannesburg
Head of Policy & Governance Manager – Cyprus
Head of Compliance – Colchester, UK
NCAA’s prediction denial
(Not) partners after all: The National Collegiate Athletic Association wants Kalshi to add a disclaimer to its offerings stating that the platform “is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the NCAA.”
The request follows a letter it sent to the prediction market upstart outlining the association’s concern that Kalshi’s branding could imply official ties to college sports.
Kalshi insists it is not a sportsbook but a peer-to-peer prediction exchange operating under Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board sided with the NCAA’s view, saying event contracts of this kind “constitute wagering activity” and warning licensees to avoid unregulated markets.
Looking through you: The NCAA’s chief legal officer Scott Bearby also urged greater transparency over how Kalshi’s collegiate markets are monitored for suspicious activity and whether its IC360 partnership goes far enough to safeguard integrity.
In response, Kalshi said it maintains “robust market integrity provisions required by our status as a federally licensed financial exchange.”
While Kalshi has landed partnerships with the NHL and Fox’s NFL division, it has also faced criticism for unauthorized use of professional league branding in past marketing.
The NCAA’s letter warned that even the appearance of endorsement could damage public trust in college athletics.
Global Reach, Local Impact: Mindway AI
Explore how Mindway AI is redefining player safety across the globe. Our software operates in 64 jurisdictions and 39 countries, including the UK, USA, and Australia, analysing 12.8 million active players monthly. We enable businesses to balance player protection with long-term business sustainability.
Learn more contact@mindway.ai
Data and predictions
Epicenter: With their long-term relationships with all the major leagues, the sports data providers are very much at the center of the debate surrounding the emergence of prediction markets and their standing with regards to official league relationships and sports integrity concerns.
No surprise, then, that both Genius Sports and Sportradar devoted time in their Q3 earnings calls this week to outlining both the potential opportunity and the regulatory complexity they present.
Tantalizing: Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke described prediction markets as “nascent but evolving rapidly,” suggesting they could “meaningfully expand the addressable market” for Genius if they meet the company’s “robust regulatory and commercial thresholds.”
Locke said Genius is “observing developments carefully” and will act “only in a responsible and sustainable way.”
This means working closely with regulators, leagues, customers and prediction platforms.
He stressed that any viable market will require official data, league marks and integrity solutions – areas “where Genius is extremely well placed.”
While declining to discuss timing, Locke called prediction markets “a potentially exciting new opportunity” but one that must align with Genius’ long-standing commitment to regulated environments and integrity protections.
Clear and obvious: Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl drew on his own Betfair experience, telling investors the firm is “actively involved in the debate” and in direct talks with leagues, regulators and operators.
Koerl said the stakeholder groups – the sports bodies, state regulators and licensed sportsbooks – must be reconciled through a “clear rule set” before meaningful participation can occur.
“Responsible gaming and integrity of the game” are paramount, he said, adding that regulators’ tax interests and operators’ desire for “equal competition” in non-licensed states remain unresolved.
Niche: Koerl argued that prediction markets could complement Sportradar’s data and trading businesses once those issues are settled, but cautioned that liquidity limits and the dominance of live betting will keep prediction markets niche.
“It does not work for live betting, but for high-volume events like the NFL it makes a lot of sense,” he said.
Sportradar, he added, stands ready to provide “high-quality, zero-latency data” to market-makers once a proper framework is in place.
Showing promise: Together, both companies see long-term promise in a new layer of speculation that could expand engagement and data demand.
Yet each underscored that regulatory clarity, league cooperation and integrity oversight will determine whether prediction markets become an incremental business or remain a side bet on the sports data landscape.
Michigan review
Prime mover: The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) will become the first US state regulator to re-examine gambling standards in the wake of the NBA’s widening sports-betting scandal, the agency said this week.
The blockbuster October 23 arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and more than 30 others formed part of two sprawling federal fraud cases involving insider wagering and Mafia-connected poker games.
The MGCB said it will reassess its own gambling safeguards and enforcement framework.
Key areas of focus include mandatory integrity monitoring, pre-approval of events and wager types, prohibition of insider betting, and enhanced internal control requirements.
Here’s looking at you kid: Regulators in the Great Lakes State will conduct targeted reviews of all licensed operators, events and associated individuals to ensure compliance.
The board highlighted player proposition bets as a continuing integrity risk, the same wager type exploited in the Rozier case.
The MGCB also warned against betting with illegal operators, citing the parallels with earlier NBA scandals.
Integrity on trial: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent an October 24 letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, requesting detailed information on illegal betting, integrity breaches and league partnerships.
Silver was given until October 31 to respond; the NBA has since confirmed an internal policy review.
Lawmakers including Rep. Paul Tonko, author of the SAFE Bet Act, called state oversight “fundamentally flawed” and urged tighter national standards.
Previous NBA betting scandals, including the lifetime ban of Jontay Porter in 2024 and ongoing investigations into former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley, continue to shape the debate over prop-bet regulation and inter-league cooperation.
Calendar
Nov 11: Gaming in Germany, Berlin
Nov 18: Sustainable Gambling Conference, Brussels
Apr 28-29: Ethical Gambling Forum 2026, Leeds
May 26-28: Gambling & Risk Taking Conference, Las Vegas
🎧 Are Prediction Markets the Next Big Compliance Challenge?
Prediction markets are blurring the line between finance and gambling – and regulators are taking notice.
In Vixio’s latest podcast, Vixio analysts Mackenzie Schanke and Matt Carey unpack how these markets are evolving and why they aren’t considered sports betting (or are they?).
If your business is watching the prediction markets space, this episode is a must-listen.
👉 Listen now to stay ahead of the curve.
For a deeper dive into the legal and regulatory developments of prediction markets, Vixio subscribers can also read our report: U.S. Regulatory Review: Prediction Markets.
An +More Media publication.
For sponsorship inquiries email scott@andmore.media.
