Report
Illegal online gambling: Consumer engagement and trends
The Gambling Commission’s report into estimated trends in consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites.
Introduction
Key point summary
Key points in this section are as follows:
- this publication explains how we have used data analytics to identify illegal gambling websites and make estimates of trends in consumer engagement
- this is the second in our series of reports on illegal online gambling
- our approach is based on our best available data and provides useful insights. Measuring use of illegal products is difficult and so naturally findings come with a caveat. More work is in progress to continue to improve both the data and our understanding of it
- the methodology should be seen as ‘in development’ and results are early-stage estimates.
The illegal market creates a high risk of consumer detriment. It is unsafe and unregulated. It also pays no tax and undercuts legitimate businesses. The Gambling Commission is increasingly using data to inform our work to disrupt this market and achieve our strategic objective of making it difficult for illegal gambling to be offered at scale in Great Britain. Our work with data also allows us to improve our understanding of trends in this market. This report sets out our methodology to achieve this and presents our initial findings.
We have used the best available data to inform our work, but nonetheless our approach has required the use of several assumptions, which we outline in this report. We welcome input from stakeholders who have access to data to help us improve these estimates as we continue to refine our approach over time.
This report is structured as follows:
- part 2 – explains how we identify illegal gambling websites
- part 3 – sets out how we measure engagement and the challenges associated with obtaining robust estimates of this activity
- part 4 – discusses assumptions made to account for use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
- part 5 – sets out the headline trends we have identified and our conclusions from this analysis
- part 6 – details our next steps to build on this approach and address the caveats.
This is the second in our series of publications on illegal gambling. The first, published in September, sets out findings from our consumer research on motivations and experiences of using illegal websites.
Future publications will cover:
- publication 3: the work we undertake to disrupt illegal gambling and take enforcement action
- publication 4: the challenge of making estimates of the financial size of this market.
Defining the illegal market
We define illegal gambling as the facilitation of commercial gambling to consumers in Great Britain without an operating licence from the Commission or a valid exemption for non-commercial gambling. This applies regardless of where in the world the gambling is provided from. A gambling licence issued in another country does not permit a company to provide gambling to consumers in Great Britain. The illegal online market is characterised by a complex interplay of operators, affiliates, payment methods, and access channels. Since the illegal market is not subject to regulation and the safeguarding this provides, there is a high rate of change as new technologies and products emerge.
Figure 1 helps illustrate the various channels through which consumers engage with the illegal gambling market, with the focus of this report being illegal gambling websites. Illegal land-based gambling is also recognised as a challenge but is not the focus of this report.
Many illegal gambling websites look indistinguishable from legal websites, meaning consumers may be using them without knowing they are not licensed by the Commission – a point backed up by the findings of our first publication. Some consumers may be using VPNs to access these sites.
Additionally, a notable trend is the growth in digital currencies and social communication platforms that have created new opportunities for individuals to engage in illegal gambling. Crypto casinos allow consumers to deposit and wager with cryptocurrencies instead of traditional fiat currencies. Many Crypto casinos appear within websites that also feature more traditional gambling products.
Illegal gambling can also be promoted and facilitated through communication platforms, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Marketing within these platforms often directs to website-based gambling opportunities, but some opportunities to gamble also exist directly within these platforms. Illegal gambling opportunities may also be found within Apps on App stores – something our current methodology does not capture.
Figure 1: Focus of this report
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Illegal online gambling: Consumer engagement and trends - Identifying illegal gambling websites
Last updated: 7 October 2025
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