Initial literature review into unregulated and unlicensed gambling on the Dark Web

This literature review introduces the unregulated and unlicensed gambling ecosystem on the Dark Web. It is the first of two reports that I hope to publish over the next few months. Conducted over a two-week period, this initial desktop literature review aims to (i) shed light on the challenges of researching the Dark Web and (ii) provide an overview of gambling within the Dark Web, based on existing literature. 

This report is a summary study of the published research available, with the aim of providing a common level of understanding for readers. It has been written without accessing the Dark Web itself. A total of twenty-one research reports were carefully examined, all of which are listed in the references section of this paper. Key findings are summarised within the report.

This desktop analysis has been a useful first step in understanding the literature. This analysis highlights there is limited literature, but equally, it paints what appears to be a concerning picture of gambling on the Dark Web. Establishing a controlled environment for independent researchers to access the Dark Web, with safeguards in place, will, I believe, be the next step in gaining a deeper understanding of both the user experience and the prevalence of gambling on the Dark Web. Themes that are coming through for the second research paper include:

• An analysis and examples of how similar the gambling environment on the Dark Web is to the regulated sites.
• An analysis and examples of the user’s experience of onboarding and gameplay.
• An analysis and examples of the breadth of gambling products and game volatility.
• An analysis and examples of the use of cryptocurrency and the monetary mechanics.
• An analysis and examples of advertising in the marketplace.
• The paper will also seek to include anonymous case studies of users to understand motivations and their experiences. The paper will also seek anonymous case studies of gambling site owners, but this must be risk-assessed.
• An analysis detailing how different jurisdictions are approaching Dark Web gambling in their location, with best practice examples shared.
• A high-quality, professional, short video (10 mins max) will be produced to show findings, along with a 20k word substantive report.

To do the next report, I will enlist the help of two researchers to access the Dark Web in a controlled environment. A neuroscientist will also be employed to help us understand the behavioural aspects of users accessing the Dark Web and to understand the attraction. A psychologist will also be involved to help provide a duty of care for those on the research team. The research team will work ‘as one and together’, meaning nobody will access content or work on this research project independently. I will personally not access any content on the Dark Web. My role will be to collect the evidence and write the report.

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