A study produced by Alvarez and Marsal for the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) says regulated operators spent £1.15bn on advertising from October 2023 to September 2024. Digital advertising accounted for £768m, while gambling’s share of UK marketing expenditure fell from 3% in 2023 to 2.7% in 2024, the report said.
The figures give operators and regulators a measure of licensed-sector advertising spend and its reported decline.
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The Betting and Gaming Council has urged major technology platforms to remove illegal gambling advertising targeting consumers in Britain. It cited analysis that illegal operators account for almost half of gambling advertising spend and forecasts that black-market stakes could reach £33bn by 2028.
The Betting and Gaming Council said unregulated operators account for nearly 50% of UK gambling advertising spend, citing WARC analysis, and could hold a majority share within two years. H2 Gambling Capital estimates illegal UK gambling could exceed £33bn in 2028, up from £17bn expected this year; the BGC also warned that advertising restrictions on licensed operators could affect the balance.
The UK Gambling Commission opened a call for evidence on 26 June, asking industry stakeholders to identify existing requirements that could be simplified without reducing consumer protection. Responses are due by 25 September, after which the Commission will consider the submissions; it said the exercise will cover its regulatory framework but will not reopen wider gambling policy.
A cross-party group of 19 MPs representing British racecourses urged Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene over the Gambling Commission’s planned financial risk assessments. The policy was scheduled to begin later in May, and the MPs said it could harm horseracing and the licensed betting market; the Commission’s pilot found that fewer than 3% of active customers would trigger intervention steps.
The UK Gambling Commission has asked its Industry Forum to examine how cryptocurrency might be used for payments by licensed operators in Great Britain, Tim Miller, the commission’s executive director, said. The work is exploratory, with no timetable set; any approach would need to align with crypto regulations expected to take effect on 25 October 2027.