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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents around 90% of Britain’s regulated betting and gaming industry, has unveiled a five-point plan to combat the growth of the illegal gambling market, warning that rising activity by unlicensed operators could undermine consumer protections and increase gambling-related harm.
The industry body called on the government, regulators, technology companies and financial institutions to work together to disrupt illegal operators targeting British consumers.
The proposal comes amid forecasts from consultancy H2 Gambling Capital that stakes placed with black market operators could rise from £17 billion ($23 billion) in 2025 to more than £33 billion ($44 billion) by 2028, with nearly one in every five pounds wagered online potentially being placed through unlicensed platforms.
“The black market is growing fast, becoming more visible and attracting billions of pounds in stakes from British consumers,” BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said. “These forecasts are a wake-up call for everyone involved in protecting consumers.”
According to the BGC, illegal operators offer none of the safeguards required of licensed companies, including age verification checks, safer gambling interventions and formal dispute resolution mechanisms. The organization warned that such operators pay no UK tax and expose consumers to heightened risks of fraud, financial crime and gambling-related harm.
Under its five-point plan, the BGC called for social media platforms to be held accountable for removing illegal gambling advertisements and content, stronger powers for the UK Gambling Commission to block websites and remove unlicensed gambling applications, and measures to prevent payment providers from processing transactions linked to illegal operators.
The group also proposed penalties for companies that knowingly provide advertising, hosting, payment processing or other services to illegal gambling businesses, alongside tougher criminal sanctions for those operating or profiting from unlicensed gambling operations.
According to WARC analysis cited by the BGC, illegal operators account for nearly half of all gambling advertising spend in the UK and could overtake licensed operators by 2028.
The BGC also cited H2 Gambling Capital data showing that stakes placed with illegal operators have risen to £16.6 billion, more than tripling since 2019, while black market profits and stakes doubled between 2023 and 2025.
“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,” Hurst said.
The organization welcomed the government’s Black Market Taskforce but said further action is needed to curb the growth of unlicensed gambling activity.
“If policymakers fail to tackle this growing threat, more gambling will take place in environments with no safeguards, no oversight and no consumer protections,” Hurst said. “Our five-point plan sets out practical, targeted measures that would strike at the heart of the black market and better protect consumers.”