One in 40 Engaging with Illegal Websites in the UK, Research Finds

The Gambling Commission has revealed a year’s worth of results from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, with the regulator’s research showing one in 40 respondents (0.6%) had engaged with illegal gambling websites within the past four weeks.

The data covers April 2025 to April 2026, and was published alongside an updated Illegal Gambling Data Dashboard which will track trends in engagement, and the impact of the Commission’s player protection work. According to the data, 0.4% of respondents engaged with illegal gambling websites in the 12 months prior to being surveyed.

The proportion of people using illegal gambling websites among the whole population, including those who do not gamble, is low, with a 94.4% majority of respondents showing no indication of using an illegal gambling website.

From all those who gambled online in the previous 12 months, 2.5% had engaged with illegal gambling websites within the previous four weeks, and a further 1.5% engaged in the previous 12 months.

Higher engagement with males

There was a higher level of engagement with illegal gambling websites from male respondents, and there tended to be a higher prevalence of engagement with younger adults in the past 12 months, particularly those aged 18 to 24. Engagement among 25 to 34-year-olds was more evident within the past four weeks.

Sue Young, the Commission’s Executive Director for Operations, said:

"We want to kick crime out of gambling. Illegal gambling poses risks to consumers and tackling it is a priority for the Commission and our partners.

“While engagement with the illegal market from an overall population perspective appears low and stable from these indicators, there is a cohort of online gamblers who use these sites and research suggests those consumers who use illegal operators are more likely to experience harm.

"This new data will help make sure activity to protect consumers is informed by the best available evidence, which is why we will continue to work across government, industry, technology and financial services to disrupt crime and protect consumers."

Illegal gambling in focus

Illegal gambling has been a common topic in the UK gambling industry discourse in recent times. Industry trade body the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has often warned of a rise in illegal gambling as a result of increased taxation, which could have an impact on operators’ bonusing and marketing budgets, which could push players to the black market.

According to a report from Fincord Intelligence, which was flagged by the BGC, the global illegal online gambling market is estimated to have generated approximately $50 billion (£36.89 billion) in 2025, with British players who have self-excluded being targeted.

In May, the BGC referenced an H2 Gambling Capital study, which found black market stakes in the UK are set to increase from £16.6 billion for 2025 to £33 billion by 2028.

In the regulated market, turnover for remote betting in 2024/25 was £138.52 billion. If this number were to remain around similar levels in the following four years, this would mean the illegal market would be 24% of the size of the regulated market, and the illegal market would have a 19% share of the overall market when adding the two figures together.

The full GSGB for 2026 is yet to be published. The 2025 GSGB found the problem gambling rate in Great Britain dropped slightly to 2.4% for 2025, down from 2.7%.