The trade body representing gambling firms in the United Kingdom, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), has revealed its five point plan to tackle the rising illegal gambling problem in the country.
The move comes after recent research suggests illegal gambling stakes may hit $33 billion by 2033, dwarfing the amount wagered via regulated sites and eradicating consumer protections existing throughout mature market frameworks.
BGC calls for tougher action from the UK government
The BGC’s five-point plan calls for social media companies to remove illegal gambling ads, stronger powers for regulators to block unlicensed websites and apps, and tighter restrictions on payment providers processing transactions for black-market operators. Those measures, the trade group says, are needed as illegal gambling sites increasingly use online advertising and digital platforms to reach UK consumers.
The plan also seeks penalties for companies that knowingly provide services to illegal operators and tougher criminal sanctions for those who run or profit from unlicensed gambling businesses. The BGC said black-market gambling has grown sharply in recent years, arguing stronger enforcement is necessary to disrupt criminal networks, protect consumers and prevent further expansion of the illegal sector.
H2 Gambling Capital, a leading betting and gaming consultancy, has recently released a study that suggests illegal gambling is accelerating at an alarming rate in the UK. The study estimates wagers on illegal gambling sites could climb from £17 billion in 2025 to more than £33 billion by 2028, accounting for one in every five pounds staked online. BGC CEO Grainne Hurst called the figures a “wake-up call.”
It’s not just the UK that seeks to eliminate the specter of illegal gambling from its market. According to a study last year, illegal online gambling operators generated an estimated €80.6 billion in gross gaming revenue in the European Union in 2024, more than double the legal market’s €33.6 billion.
The research, commissioned by the European Casino Association, found illegal operators account for 71% of the EU online gambling market, diverting more than €20 billion in potential tax revenue, with more than 6,200 unlicensed sites targeting consumers and 81 million Europeans exposed to or engaging with their services.
BGC chief executive calls study a “wake up call”
The research is causing some consternation among those at the top of government and BGC head Grainne Hurst reiterated the need for stern action to confront the problem.
In comments given to the BGC website: “These forecasts are a wake-up call for everyone involved in protecting consumers. If current trends continue, black market gambling stakes could exceed £33bn within three years, with almost one in every five pounds staked online potentially ending up with illegal operators.
“That should concern anyone who cares about consumer protection and reducing gambling-related harm.
“Illegal gambling operators offer none of the protections required in the regulated sector. They do not conduct safer gambling interventions, they do not carry out identity checks, they do not verify age properly and they provide no route to redress when things go wrong. Every customer who is driven into the black market loses those protections.”
“The evidence is already clear. Illegal operators are targeting British consumers online, advertising through social media, processing payments through legitimate financial systems and exploiting gaps in enforcement.
Illegal advertising booming, adds BGC
Meanwhile, the BGC is also warning authorities about the amount of airtime illegal gambling sites are receiving. The warning follows analysis from the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) projecting that illegal operators could account for the majority of UK gambling advertising spending within two years. The BGC said the trend highlights the growing reach of black-market brands.
Hurst added: “The overwhelming majority of the 22.5 million adults in Britain who enjoy a bet each month do so safely and responsibly with regulated operator. The priority should always be keeping those customers within the regulated market, where protections exist and standards are enforced.”
A recent study in The Netherlands revealed illegal gambling companies reached 38 million users via Meta platforms. The research, conducted by XY Legal Solutions B.V. alongside the industry group VNLOK, reviewed publicly available data from Meta’s Ad Library for Facebook and Instagram, analyzing gambling-related advertisements that appeared between March 1 and March 31, 2026.
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Using eight Dutch-language search terms tied to online gambling, they identified 15,114 ads linked to operators that lacked licenses from the Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), and classified them as illegal.
