A lack of cohesion is having serious implications for safer gambling strategies, warned BetBlocker Founder, Duncan Garvie.
Garvie stated that balance remains a crucial asset in regulation and ensuring that players aren’t being funnelled to the black market.
Nonetheless, some lessons can be learnt from the black market, as the regulated space looks to be as appealing as possible in terms of engaging consumers in safe environments and upholding regulatory remits.
Sitting down with iGaming expert, Garvie emphasised that one of the key elements that can transcend from the black market is ‘communication style’.
Black market operators have achieved significant success tapping into influencers and streamers to develop a more impactful one-to-one engagement with audiences, a dynamic that licensed incumbents can learn from.
However, he added that it’s unrealistic to expect influencers to promote licensed gambling operators in the same volume they promote unlicensed operators. Emphasising that the licensed industry and specifically the safer gambling space can’t compete financially.
Underpinning the competitive nature of the affiliate landscape, he added: “Ethics often reduce competitiveness. Ethical affiliates, for example, tend to rank lower in SEO and earn less, meaning they can’t compete against more aggressive, less ethical marketing.”
Garvie was speaking to iGaming Expert following a quite monumental first half of the year for BetBlocker, in which the charity embarked on global expansion and achieved significant engagement across a myriad of new markets, including Africa and North America.
Furthermore, during the opening half of the year, there were 109,000 active users in H1 2025, with over 1,000 new activations daily, and growing fast — expected to pass 250,000 by year-end. This surge took BetBlocker by surprise.
Underpinning what is driving that growth, he detailed: “Ground-level work from local treatment providers and charities. Many now use BetBlocker as a first step in treatment. This kind of grassroots support spreads faster and more effectively than traditional marketing — especially for a charity like BetBlocker.
“The UK makes up less than 10% of total users, despite being BetBlocker’s base. Current disarray in the UK’s support infrastructure (due to funding and governance changes) has slowed progress.”
As uncertainty reigns in the UK market, Garvie warned of the current state of the market, with a lack of cohesion leading to the market falling behind in terms of safer gambling strategies and treatment.
“It’s lowering the effectiveness of gambling harm support during the transition from the RET model to the Levy system. There’s been poor communication, funding uncertainty, and too much time spent on lobbying instead of helping people,” he said.
“GambleAware leaving the market could potentially have a huge impact. GambleAware was a coordinator and connector under the old RET system, helping BetBlocker secure funding and make valuable partnerships. Without a smooth handover, the UK risks losing progress in harm minimisation. The new funding commissioners must collaborate closely with GambleAware to avoid gaps.
“One of the key factors that enables developing markets to embrace BetBlocker at a more rapid rate is less red tape. Unlike regulated Western markets that require extensive due diligence, treatment providers in developing regions are quick to adopt free tools like BetBlocker. They’re more focused on practical help than bureaucracy.
“Blocking tools add friction, but they’re not a complete solution. The industry must invest in proper safeguards, especially where regulation is weak.
“Despite large user numbers in countries like Nigeria and Kenya, BetBlocker receives no direct financial support from or for those regions — which highlights a lack of industry responsibility.”
Garvie issued a stark warning over regulatory shortcomings in Africa and Brazil, specifically pinpointing an example in Nigeria, where underage betting is prevalent and bookmakers are acting as pawn shops, emphasising that these are signs of exploitation, not just weak regulation.
Meanwhile, in Brazil: “The market is booming, but harm reduction measures are not keeping up with industry growth. As Brazil becomes more profitable for operators, there’s an urgent need to invest in support infrastructure.”
Moving forward, he vowed that BetBlocker would be “aggressively transparent” in the way it distributes data for safer gambling and improving regulatory frameworks.
