UK Gambling Commission commits to further clampdown on Russia-linked firms

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has said it will continue to expand its purge of Russian-affiliated operators on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a blog post marking 12 months since the conflict began, the UKGC reflected on its international collaboration with its Ukrainian equivalent and promised to continue to support the nation.

The UKGC said it had led several workshops with the Ukrainian Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, specifically around how to regulate a B2B market.

The Ukrainian Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, which was established in 2020, is looking to expand its remit to license B2B firms.

The UKGC said it hoped to sign a joint memorandum of understanding in the future to develop greater sharing of best practices between the regulators.

The UK regulator added that it would continue to ramp up action against firms with connections to the Russian sanctions list.

The UKGC said: “Today feels poignant to reflect on the work we’ve been doing with the Ukrainian gambling regulator who, despite the tragic circumstances and challenges of the past year, are still carrying out their regulatory duties.

“Since the invasion began, we have been supporting Ukraine by ensuring that sanctions our government have imposed on Russian-owned entities are correctly enforced, which involves checking our licensed entities against the sanctions list which we will look to expand in the future.

“Our thoughts are, as always, with our Ukrainian colleagues, partners and everyone affected by the ongoing war,” the regulator added.