Entain research warns of rise in illegal gambling promotion during the World Cup

Gambling group Entain has warned that illegal gambling promotions targeting UK consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread across social media platforms, with activity expected to intensify during the men’s World Cup.

The company published research identifying a coordinated ecosystem of offshore gambling operators, influencers, celebrities, tipsters and content creators promoting unregulated betting products to UK audiences.

The report identified more than 30 unregulated gambling websites, including Stake, Rainbet and Duelbits, actively targeting UK consumers. Researchers found 72 instances of UK-facing promotional activity and detected gambling-related content across platforms including Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Twitch and Kick.

According to the research, illegal gambling promotion has evolved into an “always on” presence embedded within mainstream social media content consumed by young people rather than content users actively seek out.

Entain’s research found that the infrastructure supporting such promotion was already in place ahead of the World Cup and could intensify during the tournament as audience engagement increases.

The study found that offshore gambling brands are leveraging prominent football figures and social media personalities to expand their reach. Former footballers Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Iker Casillas were identified as ambassadors for offshore gambling operators.

Researchers also identified AI-generated YouTube personas providing guidance on bypassing gambling restrictions, including the use of virtual private networks and identity verification workarounds to access restricted sites.

The report found that illegal gambling content was embedded within football, gaming and ‘manosphere’ content popular among men aged 14 to 25. Influencers including HSTikkyTokky, Ed Matthews and Adin Ross were identified as part of the broader ecosystem examined by researchers.

At least 12 football fan and betting tipster accounts covering clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United were found posting identical betting tips simultaneously, which researchers concluded was evidence of a coordinated affiliate marketing campaign.

The study also highlighted concerns over consumer protections, finding age-verification measures and safeguards to be weak, inconsistent or easily circumvented across the platforms examined. At least one operator reportedly allowed users to create accounts without any age verification.

Bejay Patel, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at Entain, said the findings should serve as a warning to policymakers and regulators.

“As the Men’s World Cup is underway, this research is a wake-up call to government, regulators and law enforcement agencies that illegal gambling promotion is not operating at the fringes but is now operating at scale in the UK with coordinated networks primed to target millions of UK fans during the tournament,” Patel said.

“It also raises serious questions about whether regulators and enforcement agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle the highly coordinated illegal gambling promotion effectively, particularly across global social media platforms,” he added.

The research was conducted in May 2026 by independent OSINT researchers, Entain said. Collection took place across seven major platforms, producing 72 logged entries spanning 44 influencers, clippers and tipster accounts, identifying more than 30 distinct unregulated gambling websites with active UK-facing promotional activity.