By Benson Daniel
Online bookmakers and casino operators in the United Kingdom are facing allegations of widespread privacy breaches, with researchers accusing many gambling websites of collecting and sharing customers’ data without proper consent.
A study by researchers at Swansea University’s GREAT Centre found that 86 per cent of 624 licensed British gambling websites tested appeared to have breached at least one requirement of the General Data Protection Regulation.
The findings focused on the cookie banners displayed when users visit gambling websites and are asked to decide whether they want their personal information to be collected for tracking and advertising purposes.
Researchers found that nearly one in four of the websites examined did not provide users with an option to switch off tracking software.
Tracking technologies can allow companies and advertisers to monitor users’ online activities and build profiles that can subsequently be used to target them with personalised advertising.
The study also found that about two thirds of the gambling websites began collecting data before users had provided consent. Researchers said some of the data was subsequently transmitted to third party analytics platforms used for marketing purposes.
While gambling operators may have legitimate reasons to collect certain information before consent, such as confirming that a customer is accessing a service from the United Kingdom, the researchers raised concerns about the transfer of data for advertising and other commercial purposes.
The investigation also identified the use of so called dark patterns, where website designs are used to steer users towards accepting data collection rather than rejecting it.
In 60 per cent of the websites examined, the least privacy friendly option was given greater visual prominence. Almost three in 10 had privacy unfriendly settings selected by default, while 47 per cent placed the option to reject tracking behind an additional layer.
About two per cent of the websites studied reportedly provided no consent choice at all.
The researchers said the findings were particularly concerning because of the nature of online gambling, where detailed information about users’ behaviour can potentially be used to encourage continued engagement.
They argued that data surveillance in the gambling industry should also be considered a consumer protection issue because the behaviours that generate revenue for operators can overlap with patterns associated with harmful gambling.
The findings come as Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office continues its efforts to force websites to comply with rules governing cookies and online tracking.
The ICO has previously taken enforcement action against gambling companies over the use of personal data. In 2024, Sky Betting and Gaming was reprimanded after the regulator found that advertising cookies were processing and sharing users’ personal information before they had an opportunity to accept or reject them.
The regulator said it remained committed to monitoring compliance and taking action where necessary to protect people’s information rights.
The latest findings have renewed questions over whether existing enforcement measures are sufficient to ensure that gambling companies provide customers with a genuine choice over how their personal information is used.
Operators named in the study have responded differently to the allegations. Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, said data collected before consent was not used for advertising or marketing, while the owners of some other operators did not respond to requests for comment.
The research is likely to increase pressure on gambling companies to review their cookie banners, tracking systems and consent mechanisms as scrutiny of the industry’s handling of customer data intensifies.
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