H2 Gambling Capital estimated that stakes with illegal gambling operators in the UK exceeded £16bn in 2025, according to the report. The study said spending had tripled since 2019 and cited online visibility and regulatory reform as drivers.
The estimate gives UK operators and regulators a measure of the illegal market’s reported scale and growth.
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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.
A study estimates that illegal betting generates approximately US$50bn globally. The report also says international illegal gambling networks exploit vulnerable consumers in the UK.
The Betting and Gaming Council estimated that up to £10m would be wagered with unlicensed bookmakers over the two days of the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom, including about £5m on the Derby itself. BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said the priority should be keeping customers in the regulated market and argued that policies weakening licensed operators' competitiveness could benefit illegal betting.
The UK Gambling Commission said its data through February 2026 showed irregular changes in visits to illegal gambling websites, rather than steady growth over the monitored 21-month period. It said traffic estimates have margins of error and that it raised its threshold for VPN-hidden traffic by 30%, while seeking further data to refine its analysis.
A report commissioned by Flutter UK & Ireland and written by fraud specialist Alex Wood estimated that illegal operators account for about 9% of the UK gambling market. Wood reported that offshore sites accepted registrations using false identities and that social media, payment methods and digital wallets helped users access them.