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Illegal gambling - Phase 4: Initial findings from new data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites

The initial findings from new data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites.

Published
5 November 2026

Last updated
5 November 2026 - Changes

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Contents

Conclusion and next steps

These initial findings provide an early view of how we will be able to monitor consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites using the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The findings show that a small proportion of people are engaging with illegal gambling websites, and that those engaging in illegal gambling websites are more likely to be male and younger, a pattern consistent with the profile of those who gamble online more generally12. The majority of respondents show no indications of having ever used an illegal gambling website.

The composite Illegal Gambling Index scoring approach has been used to identify whether someone has engaged with an illegal gambling website. The Index may evolve over time as further evidence and data becomes available. This iterative approach will help ensure that the index remains robust, relevant, and capable of accurately capturing consumer engagement with illegal websites.

Among those categorised as engaging with an illegal gambling website, ‘used a gambling website that you knew was not on Gamstop’ and ‘cancelled a withdrawal before it reached your bank and/or wallet on a gambling website’ were among the most commonly reported behavioural indicators. As further waves of data are collected, the Gambling Commission will also aim to conduct further demographic analyses of those who engage with illegal gambling websites.

As part of our ongoing work to monitor engagement with illegal gambling websites, the Commission aims to track the different audience groups that engage with these websites. These audience groups were identified and developed through previous phases of the research. Building on the existing illegal gambling questions, an additional suite of questions will be incorporated into wave 1 of the GSGB in 2027. This will enable estimates of the proportion of respondents within each audience group who engage with illegal gambling websites.

References

12 Excluding those who only gambled on National Lottery products.

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Initial findings - Initial findings from new data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites
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