Gambling Commission Publishes Report on Illegal Gambling Market in Britain

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released the first in a planned series of reports into Great Britain’s illegal online gambling market, offering fresh insight into who is using unlicensed gambling sites, how they find them, and what motivates them. Published in mid-September 2025, the report was designed to inform future enforcement, regulation, and consumer protection efforts.

The report, titled "Consumer Awareness, Drivers and Motivations," was produced in partnership with Yonder Consulting and focuses on consumer behavior. It identifies several distinct “personas” of users who engage with unlicensed gambling services: self-excluders (those who have voluntarily blocked themselves from licensed platforms but still find ways into the illegal market), skilled advocates (users who seek out unlicensed sites deliberately for specific features), social explorers (people who come across illegal platforms through friends, forums, or social networks), and accidental tourists, such as users who don’t even realize a site is unlicensed.

One notable finding is that many people using illegal sites do not do so exclusively. Most continue gambling with regulated operators as well; they use unlicensed platforms to supplement rather than replace their legal gambling activity. This dual engagement raises questions about how specific gaps in regulation or market offerings may be prompting users to adopt riskier alternatives.

Motivations for turning to unlicensed operators are consistent across the personas: better bonuses or promotional offers, more attractive odds, alternative payment options including cryptocurrency, looser identity verification, or access to games that licensed operators don’t offer in Britain. For self-excluders, the ability to gamble even after self-exclusion is a strong pull; for accidental tourists, lack of awareness about licensing is often the critical issue.

A concerning aspect is that many people do not understand what it means for a site to be licensed, or mistakenly believe a site is licensed when it is not. That confusion helps drive traffic toward unsafe or unfair operators. It also suggests that public education and more transparent disclosure are likely to be essential tools in stemming illegal gambling.

As part of its response, the UKGC launched a new Illegal Gambling Hub, intended as a resource for consumers, stakeholders, and industry. The hub gathers research, enforcement updates, and advice on identifying unlicensed or illegal gambling operations.

The first report also reveals that disruption activity has increased dramatically since April 2024, about tenfold, highlighting the Commission’s intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal sites, domain takedowns, and other enforcement actions. But this fight is complex. Illegal online gambling markets are often adaptive, with operators using multiple jurisdictions, anonymous payment systems, or rapid domain changes.

The UKGC plans three further reports in the series. The second will look at engagement data and trends (how often and in what ways consumers interact with unlicensed operators). The third will cover enforcement and disruption activity. The fourth will address the difficulties in estimating the overall size of the illegal market, and how big it really is, how revenues flow, and how to measure potential harm.

What does this mean for consumers and the regulated market? First, it strengthens the case for more proactive outreach, clearer licensing information, and ensuring licensed operators remain competitive in their offerings, all to reduce the appeal of illegal sites. Second, regulators, payment providers, internet platforms, and enforcement bodies may need to coordinate more closely to plug channels through which unlicensed operators reach consumers. Third, it brings into sharper focus vulnerable groups: those who have self-excluded, young gamblers, and frequent or high-risk bettors may need additional protections.