UK Gambling News: Licence Suspended, Ad Ban and Tax Rows

Ken Howell's online licence suspended over money laundering failings

The Gambling Commission suspended the online licence of Targetlocal Ltd, which trades as Ken Howell's Sports Betting and kenhowells.com, with immediate effect on 21 September 2026. The regulator said its enquiries had revealed anti-money laundering failings. The suspension covers the firm's combined remote operating licence (000422-R-336567-002), which permits casino, betting on real events and virtual event betting.

Customers are not locked out. The Commission's suspension notice says the order does not stop Targetlocal letting consumers access their accounts and withdraw funds, and it tells customers to check the company's website for updates. While the suspension stands the firm cannot lawfully take new online bets or casino play, so anyone with a balance there should withdraw it rather than wait.

The Commission has opened a review of the licence under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005, and the suspension stays in place until it is satisfied the business is compliant. That review can end with the licence restored, conditions attached, a financial penalty or revocation. Targetlocal's separate non-remote general betting standard licence is not affected.

This is the third small operator suspended over suspected money laundering failings in less than four weeks. On 28 August the Commission suspended BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd over suspected social responsibility and anti-money laundering failings, and a 5 September update confirmed both had surrendered their licences. We covered both brands when they launched (BresBet and Bet St George); the lesson for players is that a UKGC licence is a starting point, not a guarantee that a young brand will still be trading in six months.

Four arrested in Manchester illegal gambling raids

Greater Manchester Police, backed by the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council's licensing team, raided four city centre properties this week, arresting four people and seizing more than £20,000 in cash. The Commission announced the operation on 23 September. Officers also took mobile phones, gambling tables, records and account books.

One man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and breaching the Gambling Act. A second man was held on suspicion of running an unlicensed late night takeaway and two women on suspicion of immigration offences. The cash was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The Commission's update did not mention any charges.

Sue Young, the Commission's executive director of operations, said unlicensed operators "often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses". The Commission also backed police action against illegal gambling in August, and this week's raids show the black market is not only an online problem: unlicensed gambling tables in back rooms offer none of the age checks, self-exclusion or dispute routes a licensed venue must provide.

Industry hits back at the Lords call for a gambling ad ban

The Betting and Gaming Council used 21 September to launch its formal rebuttal of the House of Lords Liaison Committee report that recommends a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising. The report, published on 17 September as a follow-up to the Lords' 2020 inquiry, argues a ban is the most effective way to cut gambling harm and should come in as soon as practicable, with an exemption for on-course betting advertising at horse and greyhound racing.

The committee's press release puts problem gambling at between 1.0 and 1.5 million adults in Great Britain and industry advertising spend at around £1 billion a year. Lord Foster of Bath said a ban on most gambling advertising "would reduce gambling and therefore reduce problem gambling". The committee also asked the government to decide whether lottery advertising should fall under the ban and set out fallback rules if ministers reject a full ban.

BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst responded that a blanket ban "would remove a key competitive advantage of being licensed and regulated while doing nothing to stop illegal operators". The trade body pointed to Italy, which has a near total ban and a large illegal market, and to the Netherlands, where only about half of gambling spend goes to licensed operators.

For UK casino players the practical stakes are welcome offers, free spins promotions and sponsorship, all of which reach customers through advertising. Nothing changes yet: this is a committee recommendation, the government has not responded, and any ban would need new rules or legislation.

Portrait of Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, wearing a red top

Image: Betting and Gaming Council

Casino and betting shop owners fight a 40% machine duty

The land-based sector spent the week lobbying against a Social Market Foundation proposal to raise Machine Games Duty to 40%, double the current 20% rate. In a piece published on 21 September, Grainne Hurst claimed the rise could put 16,000 jobs, nearly 1,500 betting shops and up to 34 casinos at risk and leave the Treasury £124 million worse off. Those are the BGC's own estimates, not independent figures.

On 24 September Paul Willcock, president and chief operating officer of Genting UK, set out the casino case. He wrote that the company's modelling suggests 13 of its 32 UK casinos would become unprofitable or unsustainable under a 40% machine duty, that more than 850 jobs would be at risk and that the change would add £16 million a year to its costs. He also pointed to Genting's planned £50 million Trocadero development in London as the kind of investment a higher duty would discourage.

Online players have already felt the tax squeeze. Remote Gaming Duty on online casino profits rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026, and big operators have since announced job cuts. A second rise aimed at machines would hit high street casinos, bingo halls and betting shops rather than websites, but it adds pressure on the same groups that run the biggest UK online brands.

Portrait of Paul Willcock, president and chief operating officer of Genting UK, in a dark suit and tie

Image: Betting and Gaming Council

Entain leaves the FTSE 100

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, dropped out of the FTSE 100 when trading opened on Monday 21 September. The FTSE Russell quarterly review moved Entain and Persimmon into the FTSE 250, with easyJet and Ithaca Energy taking their places in the top index.

The relegation follows a long slide in the share price and a fresh round of cost cutting. On 16 September Entain began consulting on around 400 customer care roles, roughly a fifth of that team, blaming "significant betting and gaming tax headwinds". A new customer care structure is expected in December 2026, subject to consultation.

There was one vote of confidence. Chief financial officer Michael Snape bought 51,815 Entain shares at 482.47p on 18 September, a stake worth about £250,000, according to a stock exchange filing on 21 September. Entain's next trading update is due on 15 October.

For customers, fewer support staff is the change to watch. Slower replies on withdrawals or complaints are worth logging, because a licensed operator must still handle disputes promptly and offer an independent ADR route if you are not satisfied.

Former Commission policy chief launches anti black market consultancy

Tim Miller, the Gambling Commission's former executive director of policy and research, has launched GamReg Consulting, iGaming Business reported on 23 September. The firm will advise governments and regulators, with a focus on keeping customers inside licensed markets, and already has projects under way in North America.

Miller spent more than a decade at the Commission and oversaw the Great Britain Gambling Survey and the rollout of the Gambling Act review reforms. His launch message warned against "simplistic, blunt approaches like ever-increasing tax hikes or blanket prohibitions", a pointed contribution given the tax and advertising debates running this month.

Commission's call to cut red tape closes

The Gambling Commission's call for industry proposals to reduce regulatory burdens closed on 25 September after opening on 26 June. It invited ideas on licence conditions, technical standards and reporting, and the Commission stressed it was not a formal consultation.

Players should not expect recent protections to be unwound through this route. The Commission excluded detailed proposals on recently implemented policies that are still being evaluated and on live policy areas whose consultation outcomes are unpublished. Any change to its own rules that came out of the exercise would still need a consultation first.

What to watch next week

30 September: new deposit limit rules. The second phase of the Commission's deposit limit requirements, delayed from 30 June, takes effect. Operators must offer gross deposit limits, only those may be called "deposit limits", they must be at least as prominent as other financial limits, and they must run over fixed time frames. Check your casino account settings after the date.

27 to 30 September: Labour conference. New gambling minister Vicky Foxcroft is due to make her first public appearance in the role at a Liverpool fringe panel titled "What Next for Gambling Reform: Time for a New Act?", alongside APPG members Alex Ballinger and Dawn Butler. Any comment on the ad ban or a new Gambling Act will be the first signal of her priorities.

Leadership changes. Ruth Evans starts a five-year term as Commission chair on 30 September, ending a long wait for a permanent chair. The same day Peter Jackson steps down as Flutter chief executive, with Dan Taylor taking over on 1 October, per Flutter's announcement.

Levy payments. Operators must pay their statutory gambling levy invoices, issued from 1 September, before 1 October. The levy of between 0.1% and 1.1% of gross gambling yield funds research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. Also watch the outcome of the Commission's review of Targetlocal's licence.

Sources

FAQs

What happens to my money if a UK casino has its licence suspended?

You can usually still get it out. When the Gambling Commission suspended Targetlocal Ltd (Ken Howell's) on 21 September 2026, it confirmed customers could still log in and withdraw funds. The operator cannot take new bets or casino play while suspended, so withdraw your balance promptly, keep screenshots of your account, and contact the Commission if the firm stops responding.

Why was Ken Howell's betting licence suspended?

The Gambling Commission said its enquiries revealed anti-money laundering failings at Targetlocal Ltd, which trades as Ken Howell's Sports Betting and kenhowells.com. The online licence covering casino, betting and virtual events was suspended on 21 September 2026 pending a section 116 review. The firm's separate non-remote betting licence is unaffected, and the outcome of the review has not yet been announced.

What changes to deposit limits come in on 30 September 2026?

From 30 September 2026 every UK-licensed online operator must offer gross deposit limits, which cap the total you pay in over a period without netting off withdrawals. Only these can be labelled "deposit limits", they must be at least as prominent as other financial limits, and they must run over fixed time frames rather than rolling ones. The date was pushed back from 30 June to give operators more development time.

Is the UK going to ban gambling adverts?

Not yet. A House of Lords Liaison Committee report published on 17 September 2026 recommended a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, with an exemption for on-course betting at racecourses. It is a recommendation only. The government has not responded, the Betting and Gaming Council opposes it, and any ban would need new rules or legislation before casino offers and sponsorship change.

How do I check that an online casino is licensed by the UKGC?

Scroll to the site footer and note the licence number and company name, then search them on the Gambling Commission's public register. The register shows whether the licence is active, suspended or revoked and which activities it covers. This week's Targetlocal case shows why checking status matters: a licence can be suspended overnight even though the website stays online for withdrawals.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive; set limits and never chase losses. Free, confidential support: BeGambleAware.

UK Gambling News This Week: Ken Howell's Licence Suspended as the Ad Ban and Tax Fights Heat Up