An Italian betting-industry site’s report on the UK market says illegal betting on Boxing Day could reach about €115 million. The report’s accessible text identifies 26 December as the date but gives no underlying estimate methodology or named source.
The reported estimate concerns the scale of illegal betting during a major UK betting day.
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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 Betting and Gaming Council said illegal operators took up to £60 million in stakes during the four-day Cheltenham Festival. The council estimated the event generated close to £1 billion in betting stakes and cited analysis indicating that about 6% of betting in Britain flows through illegal operators. Chief executive Grainne Hurst said higher taxes and affordability checks could make it harder for licensed firms to compete.
Reportedly, Italy's Agcom has opened a 30-day public consultation on proposed changes to guidelines applying the 2018 Dignity Decree's gambling advertising ban. Under the proposals, infotainment sites seeking exclusion from the ban must register with the Roc, appoint a responsible editor and update frequently.
Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) and PointsBet Canada have settled the regulatory proceeding arising from the commission’s February 2026 proposed order notice. PointsBet accepted a two-day suspension of its online gambling site in Ontario and an AGCO-approved independent audit, with corrective measures to be independently validated.
The NBA told teams it will require updated injury reports on game days, except on the second day of back-to-back games, and will expand betting-rule training. The league said the measures aim to reduce the value of confidential player-status information and that it will continue seeking changes to prop bets and developing tools to identify unusual betting activity.