Evolution has agreed to pay £4.75 million ($6.4 million) to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), bringing an 18-month licence review to a close after regulators investigated claims that the supplier’s games were available through unlicensed gambling websites accessible to customers in Great Britain.
The review, launched in December 2024 under Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005, centred on Evolution content that appeared via two operators across six websites that were not licensed to serve the UK market. According to the company, those operators had actively bypassed restrictions designed to prevent access by British players.
Evolution said it terminated its commercial relationships with both operators as soon as the issue was identified and fully cooperated with the regulator throughout the investigation. The company also noted that the UKGC found no wider pattern of Evolution games being distributed through unlicensed operators in the UK, avoiding more severe regulatory action.
To strengthen safeguards, the supplier said it has expanded its compliance programme by introducing enhanced ring-fencing measures and increasing investment in technical, legal and commercial controls aimed at detecting and blocking unauthorised distribution of its games. Evolution acknowledged that no security system can completely eliminate attempts to bypass restrictions but said it remains committed to continually improving its compliance framework.
Chief Executive Officer Martin Carlesund said the company does not want traffic from unlicensed operators and will continue to respond quickly whenever such cases are identified. He added that Evolution welcomes the conclusion of the review and remains focused on supplying licensed operators in the regulated UK market.
The investigation became public in late 2024 and initially unsettled investors, with Evolution’s shares falling by more than 11% after the licence review was disclosed, despite the UK accounting for only a small share of the group’s revenue. During the review, the UKGC declined to comment on the scope of its investigation, arguing that doing so could compromise current or future enforcement work.
The settlement removes a major regulatory uncertainty for the Swedish supplier, which has faced increasing pressure to strengthen controls against black-market distribution in Europe. Industry observers noted that Evolution’s enhanced geoblocking and compliance measures introduced during the review affected parts of its European performance in 2025, but the company now enters the second half of 2026 with the UK licence review officially resolved.