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  3. Illegal online gambling - Phase 3: Understanding push factors for consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites

Report

Illegal online gambling - Phase 3: Understanding push factors for consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites

The Gambling Commission's research into consumer engagement with the illegal online gambling market.

Published
20 October 2026

Last updated
20 October 2026 - Changes

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Contents

Appendix E – Quantitative survey

SECTION S: Screener, gambling participation and demographics

(ASK ALL)

S1. Gender

How do you identify?

Responses include

  1. Man
  2. Woman
  3. Non-binary
  4. Prefer to use own term (specify)
  5. Prefer not to say

(ASK ALL)

S2. Age

Please enter your age in the box below.

WRITE IN

(SCREEN OUT: S2 < 18)

(ASK ALL)

S4. Ethnicity

To which of the following ethnic groups do you consider you belong?

(SINGLECODE – CODES AS PER YDS LIST)

(ASK ALL)

S5. Nearest city

Which of the following cities do you live in, or nearest to?

SINGLECODE

  1. Glasgow
  2. Edinburgh
  3. Newcastle
  4. Leeds
  5. Hull
  6. Sheffield
  7. Manchester
  8. Liverpool
  9. Nottingham
  10. Birmingham
  11. Norwich
  12. Milton Keynes
  13. Brighton
  14. Oxford
  15. London
  16. Southampton
  17. Bristol
  18. Plymouth
  19. Cardiff
  20. None of these

(ASK ALL)

S5. SEG

The Chief Income Earner is the person with the largest income, whether from employment, pensions, state benefits, investments or any other source. If 2 or more related people in the household have equal income, please think of this question with the oldest in mind. The Chief Income Earner can be of either sex, with no preference to either.

(CODES AS PER YDS USUAL PRACTICE)

(ASK ALL) 

S6. Socio-grader 

Please input the first 3 or 4 letters of the occupation of your household's Chief Income Earner below and click 'search'. 

(SINGLECODE)

(INPUT BOX)

(ASK ALL)

S7. Gambling activity

(SHOW INTRO ON SEPARATE SCREEN)

For the next series of questions, we’d like you to think about gambling activities; by gambling we mean spending money on games of chance where you can win money.

When, if ever, have you spent money on the following activities?

By ‘online’, we strictly mean ‘websites’, rather than gambling apps.

(SINGLE CODE, REVEAL IN TURN)

  1. Online fruit, slot, or virtual gaming
  2. Online bingo
  3. Online betting on horse or dog races, including virtual races
  4. Online betting on football
  5. Online betting on other sports, including virtual and e-sports
  6. Online betting on events (such as, political, entertainment, topical, current affairs, novelty)
  7. Online roulette, card and/or dice games, poker, or instant win games
  8. Another form of online gambling [ANCHOR]

Responses include:

  1. In the last 7 days
  2. In the last 4 weeks
  3. In the last 3 months
  4. In the last 12 months
  5. More than 12 months ago
  6. Never spent money on this

(SCREENOUT: IF ALL FROM S7_X = 3 to 6, THANK AND CLOSE)

(ASK ALL)

S8. PGSI

And thinking about the last 12 months…

(SINGLECODE, DO NOT RANDOMISE)

  1. Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
  2. Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
  3. When you gambled, did you go back another day to try to win back the money you lost?
  4. Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
  5. Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
  6. Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
  7. Have people criticized your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, regardless of whether or not you thought it was true?
  8. Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
  9. Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

Responses include:

  1. Almost always
  2. Most of the time
  3. Sometimes
  4. Never

(ASK ALL)

S9. Gambling accounts

How many active online gambling accounts do you currently have, with any gambling company?  

By ‘active’ we mean accounts that you have deposited money into to participate in an online gambling activity in the last 12 months. Please exclude any accounts you have set up to use for a single gambling event or occasion, or only to make use of a marketing or bonus offer (such as, free bets, free spins, welcome bonus and so on.). 

(SINGLECODE)

  1. 1 to 5
  2. 6 to 10
  3. 11 to 15
  4. 16 to 20
  5. More than 20
  6. Don’t know

(ASK ALL)

E4. Push factors – awareness and understanding

Which of the following, if any, are you aware of in the context of online gambling…?

(ROWS, RANDOMISE)

  1. Return to Player (RTP)
  2. Identity checks, also known as Know Your Customer (KYC) checks
  3. Financial vulnerability checks
  4. The Gambling Commission
  5. GAMSTOP
  6. Gamban
  7. GamProtect
  8. Financial risk assessments
  9. Source-of-funds checks
  10. Statutory Gambling Levy
  11. Rules applying to online fruit, slot, or virtual gaming (such as, stake limits, spin speed restrictions, autoplay bans)
  12. Gambling management tools, such as financial limits, self-exclusion, reality checks
  13. Account restrictions or bans (may also be referred to as “gubbing”)

(COLUMNS, SINGLECODE)

  1. Aware of this and have a good understanding of how it could impact my gambling experience
  2. Aware of this and have some understanding of how it could impact my gambling experience
  3. Aware of this but do not understand how it could impact my gambling experience
  4. Have never heard of this

(ASK ALL THAT ARE AWARE OF ONE FORM OF CHECK (AT LEAST ONE FROM E4_B / C / H / J = 1-2))

E4b. Impact in own words

[LEAST FILL: Pull through response from relevant E4_X responses]

How would you explain this to a friend, discussing how you think it could impact your gambling? Please describe your understanding as clearly as you can, even if you are unsure of some details.

WRITE IN

SECTION B: General attitudes and motivation

(ASK ALL)

B1. General attitudes

Thinking about your life in general, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the statements below?

ROWS, RANDOMISE

  1. I prefer to seek guaranteed rewards over larger, uncertain rewards
  2. I conduct thorough research before buying things
  3. I find it exciting to experiment with new technologies
  4. I often act quickly on new opportunities
  5. I care more about experiences than final results
  6. I am willing to risk losing money if there is a chance to gain a lot
  7. My online privacy is important to me
  8. I throw caution to the wind when trying new things
  9. It is okay to break the rules sometimes if no one gets hurt
  10. I am often more curious to try things if they are restricted and/or banned
  11. I often reminisce about missed opportunities
  12. I trust public regulators to act in my best interests

(COLUMNS, REVERSE SCALE)

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly disagree
  6. Don’t know

(ASK ALL)

B2. General motivations

How important are the below to you when making an investment?

(ROWS, RANDOMISE)

  1. Making money quickly
  2. Making long-term investments
  3. Relieving stress
  4. Having fun
  5. Feeling in control
  6. Avoiding missing out on a good opportunity
  7. That my friends and/or family are also doing it
  8. Taking advantage of good deals
  9. Testing my own skills and/or judgement
  10. Recovering any previous losses

(COLUMNS, REVERSE SCALE)

  1. Very important
  2. Somewhat important
  3. Not very important
  4. Not important at all
  5. Don’t know

SECTION C: Gambling attitudes and motivations

(ASK ALL)

C1. Gambling motivations

Now thinking about gambling specifically, how important have the below been to you when choosing which websites to gamble with in the last 4 weeks?

(ROWS, RANDOMISE, SPLIT FACTORS OVER 2 SCREENS OF 10 EACH)

  1. Avoiding Gamstop block
  2. Avoiding Gamban
  3. Avoiding gambling blocks set by my bank or payment provider
  4. Avoiding bans or restrictions placed on me by other gambling companies
  5. Finding sites with no or minimal identity checks
  6. Having fun while gambling
  7. Finding the best odds
  8. High Return to Player (RTP) percentages
  9. Playing or discovering new games
  10. Knowing my personal information is secure
  11. Quick and easy withdrawals
  12. Using websites I had already heard of
  13. Using websites that are licensed by the Gambling Commission
  14. A quick and simple sign up process
  15. Being able to use alternative currencies to bet (for example, not GBP)
  16. Using cryptocurrencies to bet
  17. Finding sites with a smooth user experience
  18. Knowing my winnings will be paid out with no issue
  19. Taking advantage of the best offers and promotions
  20. Recommendations from friends or family
  21. Recommendations from forums and/or social media (for example Reddit, X, and so on)
  22. Endorsements by influencers and/or social media personalities

(COLUMNS, REVERSE SCALE)

  1. Very important
  2. Somewhat important
  3. Not very important
  4. Not important at all
  5. Prefer not to say

(ASK ALL)

C2. Licensing attitudes

Where do you sit on the below scales?

(10-PT SCALE, LEFT STATEMENT = 1, RIGHT STATEMENT = 10, 11 = Don’t know)

Statements A

Left: There should be fewer rules in place on gambling. Right: There should be more rules in place on gambling.

Statements B

Left: Adults should be free to gamble on any website they like, even if they are not licensed by the Gambling Commission. Right: Adults should only be able to gamble on websites licensed by the Gambling Commission.

(ASK ALL)

C3. Gambling-specific attitudes

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statements below?

(ROWS, RANDOMISE)

  1. If I set myself a gambling limit, I usually stick to it
  2. I get frustrated with gambling rules and restrictions
  3. Gambling is a ‘side-hustle’ for me
  4. Fast withdrawals from gambling websites are more important to me than promotions and/or offers
  5. I do not want to be bothered by the gambling company I am using whilst I’m gambling
  6. I actively explore different gambling websites for new experiences
  7. It is important to me to gamble with the same gambling websites as my friends and/or family
  8. It is important to me to gamble with the same gambling websites as other people online
  9. It is important to me for a gambling website to be licensed with the Gambling Commission
  10. I often act fast when I spot a new gambling promotion or offer
  11. I tend to spend a small amount of money when depositing on a new gambling website
  12. I am very careful when choosing which gambling websites to gamble with.
  13. When gambling, I am more concerned with quick wins than my overall gambling experience.
  14. Identity checks and/or KYC (Know Your Customer) checks on gambling websites are important to protect customers.
  15. I think it is fair for gambling websites to ask for some of my financial information for large withdrawals.
  16. I enjoy often trying new gambling websites or gambling products and/or experiences.
  17. Gambling websites should check in with their customers regularly around their gambling wellbeing.
  18. I see a lot of advertising about gambling on my social media accounts.

(COLUMNS, SINGLECODE, REVERSE SCALE)

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly disagree
  6. Prefer not to say

(ASK ALL)

D3. GAMSTOP

Have you ever signed up to GAMSTOP, an online tool that restricts access to gambling websites based on personal details you share?

GamStop is a free online tool that, if you sign up, prevents you from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing.

This tool is sometimes called ‘self-exclusion’ and applies across all licensed gambling websites.

(SINGLECODE)

  1. Yes, I am currently signed up
  2. Yes, I have signed up in the past
  3. No
  4. Don’t know

(ASK ALL WHO SELF EXCLUDE (D3 = 1-2))

D4. GAMSTOP effectiveness

(A3 = 1: Does; A3 = 2;)Did GAMSTOP entirely prevent you from using gambling websites with your own account?

(SINGLECODE)

  1. Yes, I (A3 = 1: have not gambled; A3 = 2: did not gamble) on websites on my own account while signed up
  3. No, I still [A3 = 1: have a way; A3 = 2: found a way] to gamble on websites on my own account while signed up
  5. Don’t know

(ASK ALL THAT ALREADY HAVEN’T INDICATED ILLEGAL GAMBLING (ALL EXCEPT D4 = 2))

D1. Intentional usage

Have you intentionally gambled on a gambling website that you knew did not have a licence to operate in Great Britain?

We want to assure you that the information you provide in this survey is completely confidential, and that individuals who gamble with unlicensed websites are not engaging in illegal activity. We are only interested to know the true extent of how many people are using these websites.

(SINGLECODE)

  1. Yes, in the last 4 weeks
  2. Yes, in the last 12 months
  3. Yes, more than 12 months ago
  4. No, never
  5. Don’t know
  6. Prefer not to say

(ASK IF THINKS HAS USED UNLICENSED IN L4W (D1 = 1))

D2. Site check

Which gambling website(s) have you used in the last 4 weeks that you think did not have a licence from the Gambling Commission?

Everything you tell us is completely confidential, we’ll only use this information to check the licensing status of these companies for research purposes.

Please enter your answers in the boxes below. You do not need to fill all the boxes to go to the next question.

(WRITE-IN, KEEP GENERATING BOXES UPON PRESSING ENTER, WITH RESPONDENTS ALLOWED TO PASS WITHOUT FILLING ALL )

  1. Prefer not to say

(ASK ALL)

D5. Indicators

Have you ever…

(SINGLECODE COLUMNS, RANDOMISE ROWS)

1.Yes, in the past 4 weeks 2. Yes, in the past 12 months 3. Yes, more than 12 months ago 4. No, never 98. Don’t know 99. Prefer not to say

  1. Used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) specifically to access a gambling website that was not otherwise available in Great Britain
  2. Placed a bet and/or played a game on a gambling website using cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin)
  3. Placed a bet and/or played a game using money directly from your credit card (that can be paid off each month)
  4. Placed a bet and/or played a game on a gambling website using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) or virtual assets
  5. Signed up to a gambling website because you knew you wouldn’t need to verify your age or identity
  6. Cancelled a withdrawal before it reached your bank/wallet on a gambling website 
  7. Used a gambling website that you knew was not on GamStop

(SHOW INTRO TEXT ON SEPARATE SCREEN WITH 5 SECOND DELAY)

In Great Britain, gambling websites are regulated by the Gambling Commission. As the regulator, the Commission provides licences to companies allowing them to operate in Britain if they meet a set of rules and requirements.

Examples of some gambling companies licensed by the Gambling Commission include well-known companies such as William Hill, Bet365, Ladbrokes, and Coral. 

Sometimes, however, there are some gambling companies that operate gambling websites in Great Britain without having a licence from the Commission. These websites may have a licence to operate in a different country, or not have one at all, from any country.

(THEN QUESTION ON NEXT PAGE)

Section E: Illegal gambling module and push factors

(ASK ALL)

E5. Push factors – experience

In the last 3 months, have you experienced any of the following while using gambling websites?

(ROWS, RANDOMISE)

  1. Browsed for websites with better RTP (Return to Player)
  2. Browsed for websites with better odds
  3. Had my account restricted
  4. Looked for sites not blocked by GAMSTOP and/or Gamban
  5. Had trouble with withdrawals
  6. Played on crypto casinos
  7. Used sites without financial checks
  8. Looked for different websites to have fun on
  9. Looked for different gambling games to play
  10. Avoided sites where I didn’t think my personal data would be safe
  11. Used sites that I knew would not ask for much personal data

[S7_a = 1-3: Found sites where I could still use Autoplay / turbo / slam stops]

Submitted documents proving my identity

COLUMNS, SINGLECODE

  1. Yes, frequently
  2. Yes, sometimes
  3. Yes, rarely
  4. No, never
  5. I don’t know
  6. Prefer not to say

(ASK LICDUM = 1 or 2)

E1. Intro to focus for next questions

(DON’T ALLOW SKIP TO NEXT SCREEN FOR 10 SECONDS)

From your answers so far, it is possible that you have previously gambled on gambling website(s) that did not have a licence to operate in Great Britain. Some of these website(s) may only be licensed in other countries, and some website(s) may not hold a licence to operate anywhere.

For the next couple questions, we will ask you to consider these website(s) specifically.

(LICDUM = 2: These are the website(s) where you (PULL THROUGH RANDOM RESPONSE WHERE D5_a-g = 1-3; IF MORE THAN ONE FROM D5_a-g = 1-3; among other things.)

Please note that you have not done anything wrong by using these websites.

As a reminder, your answers to this survey are completely confidential, and we are solely interested in understanding your experience of these websites for research purposes.

(ASK LICDUM = 2)

E2. Awareness of unlicensed sites

At the time you used the website(s) in question, were you aware it was likely not licensed by the Gambling Commission?

(SINGLECODE)

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Don’t know
  4. Prefer not to say

(ASK LICDUM = 1 or 2)

E3. Product

When you have used the website(s) in question, what types of gambling activities do you usually take part in?

(MULTICODE, RANDOMISE)

(TREAT ROWS 3 to 6 AS A BLOCK)

(TREAT ROWS 8 to 11 AS A BLOCK)

  1. Online fruit, slot, or virtual gaming
  2. Online bingo
  3. Online betting on horse or dog races, including virtual races
  4. Online betting on football
  5. Online betting on other sports
  6. Online betting on virtual and e-sports
  7. Online betting on events (such as, political, entertainment, topical, current affairs, novelty)
  8. Online roulette
  9. Online card and/or dice games
  10. Online poker
  11. Online instant win games
  12. Crypto casinos
  13. Another form of online gambling (please specify) [ANCHOR]
  14. None of the above [EXCLUSIVE, ANCHOR]
  15. Prefer not to say [EXCLUSIVE, ANCHOR]

Section F: Close and recontact

(ASK ALL, DISABLE BACK BUTTON)

F1. Close

Thank you for answering those questions today. Some of the questions you’ve answered today have been about unlicensed gambling websites in Great Britain.

The questions you have just answered were on behalf of our client, the Gambling Commission.

We want to assure you that nothing you have said in this survey can be attributed back to you, and that individuals who gamble with unlicensed websites are not engaging in illegal activity.

However, we would like you to know that gambling with these websites does not provide you the protection of regulatory oversight by the Gambling Commission.

The Commission strongly advises that you don’t use unlicensed gambling websites, as your funds and data security are not protected when doing so.

If you are ever unsure as to whether a gambling company is licensed in Great Britain, you can check the Gambling Commission’s information page titled ’What to look at before you gamble’.

If this survey has raised any topics of concern, you can contact:

  • Samaritans on 116 123
  • GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

In partnership with the Gambling Commission, we are also looking to conduct some follow-up interviews to explore a range of pathways and experiences in gambling. Please click to the next screen to find out more.

This would involve taking part in a 2-hour in-person focus group in June 2026, (in either London or Birmingham) where we would look to explore your perceptions and experience of gambling further. There may also be a ‘homework’ task that we would ask you to complete before the group, as well as an information webinar, which together would take around an hour of your time in total.

If you agree to take part and are selected to do the focus group you would be provided with a voucher for your time and as a thank you for taking part of £150.

Please note, your details will only be passed on if you agree and only for the purposes of this study. All details will be stored and transferred securely and will be deleted once the study is over and note your details will NOT be passed on to the Gambling Commission. Any responses you provide will remain anonymous and will not be directly attributable to you.

If you agree to take part, we (Yonder Consulting) will collect your name, email address and phone number. This will then be shared with our recruitment partner, Criteria Fieldwork, who would then get in touch with you to further assess your eligibility and provide further details.

Would you be interested in taking part?

  • Yes
  • No

THANK AND CLOSE

(IF YES (F1 = 1))

F2. Details

Do you give permission to collect your name, email address, phone number and responses to this survey to contact you regarding this additional research, should you be eligible?

  1. Yes
  2. No

THANK AND CLOSE

(IF YES (F2 = 1))

F3. Give details

If you are no longer interested in taking part in this further research, please close your browser without sharing your details.

If you are interested, please provide your:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Mobile phone number
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Appendix D - Digital intelligence list of platforms evidence was sourced from Next section
Appendix F – Quantitative sample
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