The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has unveiled its first-ever International Best Practice Guide, designed to provide global policymakers and operators in the online gaming industry with a comprehensive tool to shape and improve regulatory frameworks.

A comparative approach

The online gaming sector has seen massive growth over the past two decades, expanding from just a few active jurisdictions in 1994 to more than 100 today, explained the BGC. This rapid expansion has prompted governments to explore the best ways to regulate the industry while balancing key policy goals.

Compiled by professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal, this guide examines the approaches taken by various jurisdictions worldwide, offering insights into their benefits and challenges.

Pierre Tournier, BGC’s International Director, explained: “For too long there has been a crucial evidence gap when those choices are considered by policymakers. Our ambition for this new guide is that it finally offers a solution to that problem. Drawing on the lessons from around the world, operators and policymakers, can take a global view of the pitfalls and benefits of different approaches, and make better policy decisions as a result.”

Key regulatory objectives

The guide outlines several core objectives common to all regulators globally. These include:

• Promoting channelisation: Encouraging players to engage with regulated markets to ensure safety and oversight.
• Improving consumer protection: Implementing strict measures to safeguard vulnerable populations, including younger audiences, through responsible gambling initiatives.
• Maintaining consumer choice: Ensuring competitive market dynamics to offer players diverse gaming options.
• Keeping gambling crime-free: Protecting sporting integrity and preventing criminal activities within the gambling sector.
• Maximising tax revenue: Encouraging operators to invest in the markets where they operate, contributing to local economies.

Addressing the black market threat

One of the main focuses of the guide is the ongoing threat posed by illegal gambling markets. According to a separate BGC-commissioned study, an estimated 1.5 million UK players bet on the black market, with up to £4.3 billion in annual wagers. The report warns that poorly balanced regulations can inadvertently drive players toward unsafe, unregulated platforms, undermining key policy objectives.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst (pictured above) stressed the importance of striking the right regulatory balance, stating: “In the UK, balanced regulations have led to a thriving sector that generates billions in tax revenue and creates jobs. However, failure to achieve this balance can give rise to unsafe black market activities.”

Anticipating positive global impact

The BGC hopes the guide will become an essential resource for developing markets as well as countries looking to revise existing gambling regulations. Hurst declared, “The online gaming sector will continue to grow, and through smart regulation, governments can not only raise tax revenues but also foster growth, protect players, and create jobs.”

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