Report
Illegal online gambling - Phase 1: Exploring consumer pathways into using illegal gambling websites
The Gambling Commission's report on the first phase of the Consumer Voice illegal gambling project.
Pathways into illegal gambling websites
Amongst those who report having ever gambled on illegal websites (127 respondents), illegal websites were discovered via a variety of sources; most commonly, they were found via search engines (35 percent) or word of mouth (33 percent), as shown in Table 5.
Table 5. You indicated that you either currently, or have previously, gambled using unlicensed websites. How did you find out about these websites?
| Source | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Search engine | 35% |
| Word of mouth | 33% |
| Social media personality | 29% |
| Gambling forum | 28% |
| Paid advertising on social media | 24% |
| Affiliate websites | 20% |
Base: 127 respondents who report having ever gambled using unlicensed websites.
How trustworthy these sources are considered to be, and the extent to which they are used, depends on the type of audience at-hand. This will be explained in subsequent sections of this report.
Illegal audiences
We have identified 4 key audience types who engage with this market1 .
At the outset of the qualitative depth interview phase, Yonder recruited respondents on the basis of their having experienced a range of potential indicators and pathways into the online illegal market, in addition to recruiting for a range of audiences, including:
- those who intentionally use the licensed market
- those who have used unlicensed websites without their knowledge
- those who, to their knowledge, had not used unlicensed websites but were open to using them in future2 .
However, upon interviewing these individuals it became clear that what distinguished them was their attitudes and motivations towards using illegal websites and the stories they had to tell. Our reporting has been directly informed by this, and this is why we have chosen to publish the insights through the lens of the four different key audience types that emerged.
- Self-Excluders: those who have chosen to self-exclude from all GB-licensed gambling websites by registering with GAMSTOP and who use illegal websites as a way to circumvent this self-exclusion.
- Skilled Advocates: committed users of illegal gambling websites who deliberately seek them out for recreational enjoyment and reward.
- Social Explorers: those for which gambling is a social activity; they are adventurous in seeking out new websites to recommend to others, and can as a result, unintentionally come across illegal gambling websites.
- Accidental Tourists: those who chance upon illegal websites inadvertently, when seeking better odds or through advertising when pursuing wider interests online.
Within subsequent chapters of this report, we will delve into the above audiences in more detail, covering the following for each:
- reasons for using illegal websites
- pathways into illegal websites
- attitudes towards illegal websites and regulation
- a case study from the qualitative phase.
References
1 Note, these audiences reflect attitudinal and behavioural leanings and have been drawn out of qualitative research. They have not been subject to any quantitative segmentation so remain directional.
2 See Appendix C for more details.
Potential indicators of illegal gambling activity Next section
Self-excluders
Last updated: 18 September 2025
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