UK gambling regulator says illegal betting use remains low but harms vulnerable

The UK Gambling Commission says about one percent of British gamblers use illegal gambling platforms, according to new survey data. The regulator's latest research indicates overall engagement with the unlicensed market is low but reveals a concerning link to problem gambling. Acting Chief Executive Officer Sue Gardner told industry leaders the data provides a baseline for understanding the black market's scale. The Commission was granted an extra £26 million in the government’s 2025 budget specifically to tackle unlicensed gambling activity.

Data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain shows 0.6 percent of respondents had used illegal platforms in the four weeks prior to being surveyed. Another 0.4 percent had used such sites within the past 12 months but not in the last four weeks. A further 4.6 percent showed limited indications of engagement over the prior year. "We want to kick crime out of gambling," said Sue Young, the Commission’s Executive Director for Operations. "Illegal gambling poses risks to consumers and tackling it is a priority for the Commission and our partners."

Gardner said the survey information is the "best data we've had on the use of the illegal market". She added that this understanding provides a foundation for further action. "This in itself is a baseline and we can build trend data from this point which, again, we can and will make use of to evaluate and target our interventions," she said. The regulator is combining this data with other sources, including a recent analysis of open banking data, to develop a fuller picture.

The Commission's research also profiles who is using illegal sites. Men are much more likely to gamble illegally than women, with those aged 18 to 24 being a particular focus. The most worrying finding is that a large percentage of people using illegal sites are suffering from problem gambling. Data from a small open banking study revealed that 45 percent of participants with a high Problem Gambling Severity Index score had transacted with illegal sites. A recent Financial Ombudsman Service case highlighted the issue, involving a self-described problem gambler who lost nearly £25,000 with an illegal platform in under three months. "While engagement with the illegal market from an overall population perspective appears low and stable from these indicators, there is a cohort of online gamblers who use these sites and research suggests those consumers who use illegal operators are more likely to experience harm," Young concluded. The Commission says it will continue to work across government and industry to disrupt illegal activity and protect consumers.