Back in August, the UK Gambling Commission announced that any website that provides a service to facilitate the making or accepting of wagers between others required a betting license. Because of this new requirement, two individuals now face charges of promoting a lottery and advertising unlawful gambling. Late last week, the UK Gambling Commission filed their first legal action against two Essex residents based on eSports wagering.
Dylan Rigby and Craig Douglas are the two facing charges, having both appeared in the Birmingham Magistrates’ Court based on the legal action taken by the UKGC. The two will be back in court on the 14th of October for a follow-up hearing. Charges include inciting individuals under the age of 18 to gamble.
Douglas has a YouTube channel where he posts videos about online games and has over one million subscribers. The majority of his videos are based on EA Sports’ FIFA. Sites are promoted by Douglas that offer wagering with virtual coins called FIFA Coins. The coins are used as currency to wager on eSports games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Skin wagering sites have actually stopped taking wagers on this game due to a crackdown on the title.
The information of the two men being charged was first published in a BBC report, which provided information connecting the two men. Douglas was promoting the coin wagering for FUTgalaxy which is a site connected to Rigby, the other man accused by the UKGC.
Reportedly, others on Twitter had warned Douglas that he should include information that FUTgalaxy was not to be used by minors but he did not heed these warnings.