The Betting and Gaming Council said it launched a five-point plan on 8 June to tackle illegal gambling in the UK. The proposals cover unlawful advertising, websites, payments, facilitators and criminal sanctions. The BGC cited estimates that black-market betting could rise from £17bn in 2025 to more than £33bn in 2028.
The proposals seek coordinated action to keep consumers and betting activity within the regulated UK market.
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An opinion column by Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Gráinne Hurst warned that illegal gambling operators are increasing their advertising in Britain ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The BGC cited analysis forecasting that unregulated operators could account for nearly half of UK gambling advertising spend and that illegal online betting could reach more than £33bn in 2028.
The Betting and Gaming Council said higher UK gambling taxes and lower regulated-market returns could drive customers towards offshore operators. H2 Gambling Capital’s analysis, cited by the BGC, forecasts that offshore online gambling volume could rise from £16.6bn currently to £36bn in 2031, while the illegal market’s share increases from 10% in 2025 to 22%.
The Betting and Gaming Council estimated that illegal platforms took more than £8m in bets on the Betfred St Leger Festival. The festival marked the race’s 250th anniversary.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) estimated that more than £8m was bet with unauthorised operators during the Betfred St Leger Festival, according to figures the association issued. The BGC put bets on the St Leger race itself at about £2m. The festival marked the 250th anniversary of the race, which was first run at Doncaster in 1776.
The BGC says illegal gambling operators deliberately target vulnerable players, PressGiochi reported in UK coverage. The report also cites Fincord Intelligence’s estimate that illegal online gambling generated approximately $50bn in global gross revenue in 2025.
The Betting and Gaming Council urged the UK government to disrupt illegal gambling networks. The council highlighted a report that put global illegal online gambling revenue in eleven figures for 2025.