IFHA reports illegal sites’ UK horseracing traffic rose fourteenfold by 2025
Regulation1 min read
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities reported that visits to illegal betting platforms rose from 1.8 million in 2022 to more than 25 million in 2025, while visits to licensed sites fell 34%. British Horseracing Authority chief executive Brant Dunshea said the research showed growing use of illegal operators and that the authority would share the findings with the government. For 32 illegal sites offering British horseracing bets, traffic intensity reached 6.8 visits per 100 legal-site visits in 2026, compared with 0.97 in late 2021.
Visits to illegal betting platforms rose from 1.8 million in 2022 to more than 25 million in 2025, while visits to licensed sites fell 34% over the same period, research by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) found.
British racing had repeatedly cautioned that policy changes could drive customers to illegal betting during the Gambling Act Review, BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said. He said the research suggested those fears were coming true, with more consumers apparently betting through illegal operators. Racing customers who leave licensed operators for illegal ones face increased risk and weaker protections, he said, while unlicensed businesses make no contribution to British racing or public finances.
The Illegal Gambling Taskforce has made little progress since its creation in January 2026, Dunshea said. He acknowledged a recent rise in enforcement by the Commission and said the findings would be shared with the government, which would be urged to help keep bettors in the regulated market.
Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes Coral, has worked during 2026 to eliminate illegal-market sponsorships in the UK. A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport consultation on whether to ban such sponsorships closed in September.