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.

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Published
20 October 2026

Last updated
20 October 2026 - Changes

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Contents

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

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• Executive summary
• Introduction
• How to read this report
• Methodology
• • Digital intelligence
  • Quantitative phase
  • Qualitative phase
  • Strengths of the approach
  • Limitations of the approach
  • Ethics and governance
• Findings
• • Exploring the persona audiences
  • Attitudes towards gambling companies and regulation
  • Influences shaping illegal gambling website usage
  • Exploring attitudes towards push factors and influences in more depth
• Conclusions and next steps
• Appendices
• • Appendix A – Qualitative pre-task
  • Appendix B - Focus group discussion guide
  • Appendix C - Qualitative sample breakdown of 15 participants
  • Appendix D - Digital intelligence list of platforms evidence was sourced from
  • Appendix E – Quantitative survey
  • Appendix F – Quantitative sample

Ethics and governance

All research was conducted in accordance with standard market research guidelines and aligned with the Gambling Commission’s Research Governance Framework.

Participants across the quantitative and qualitative phases were fully informed about the purpose of the study and gave their explicit consent to take part. To ensure participants were safeguarded throughout the process, all data was anonymised and individuals were assured of their confidentiality. Given the sensitive nature of gambling research, qualitative participants were also signposted to independent support services, such as the National Gambling Helpline, at the conclusion of the focus groups, should the discussion have raised any concerns.

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Limitations of the approach

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Last updated: 20 October 2026

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