Statistics and research release
Illegal online gambling - Phase 4: Initial findings from new data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites
An analysis of new Gambling Survey of Great Britain (GSGB) data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites and an accompanying technical report detailing the analytical approach taken.
Summary
Also published recently
Phase 4 signifies the conclusion of a multi-phase Consumer Voice research programme undertaken by the Gambling Commission and Yonder Consulting to better understand consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites. It presents the first year of data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), covering April 2025 to April 2026, alongside a technical report outlining the development and application of an ‘Illegal Gambling Index’ for the GSGB, a new metric designed to capture consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites over time.
Consumer engagement in the online illegal market is inherently difficult to measure. It is often hidden, influenced by a complex number of factors, and can occur unintentionally. As a result, traditional survey methods are unlikely to accurately capture engagement. Simply asking consumers whether they have used an illegal gambling website is not a reliable measure, as responses depend on individuals being aware that an illegal market exists, being able to identify an illegal gambling website, and accurately recalling their past behaviour.
The Illegal Gambling Index was developed to address these challenges. Rather than relying on a single measure, the Index brings together 7 self-reported behavioural indicators of engagement, providing a more complete picture of consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites. The Index approach therefore represents an important step in strengthening the Commission's Illegal gambling and crime Evidence Roadmap, supporting the development of a robust evidence base on participation in online illegal gambling in Great Britain. The development of the Index was one that came out of requiring a comprehensive and adaptable metric, so it has therefore been intentionally designed to be flexible and may therefore evolve over time as further evidence and data becomes available.
Details
Development of the Illegal Gambling Index
The Index was developed through an iterative and evidence-led process. Phase 1 and phase 2 combined qualitative and quantitative research focusing on those who gamble online, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and input from individuals with lived experience of gambling. These activities helped to identify behaviours associated with use of illegal gambling websites and informed the development of survey questions suitable for inclusion in the GSGB.
The questions were piloted within the GSGB during 2025. Analysis of early data led to further refinements to the methodology and through collaboration between Yonder and the Commission, these indicators were combined into a single composite measure capable of tracking consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites consistently over time.
How the Index works
The Illegal Gambling Index identifies respondents’ potential engagement with illegal gambling websites based on 7 self-reported behavioural indicators associated with the use of illegal gambling websites, including:
- used a gambling website that you knew was not on Gamstop
- signed up to a gambling website because you knew you wouldn’t need to verify your age or identity
- cancelled a withdrawal before it reached your bank and/or wallet on a gambling website
- used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) specifically to access a gambling website that was not otherwise available in Great Britain
- placed a bet and/or played a game on a gambling website using cryptocurrency (for example, Bitcoin)
- placed a bet and/or played a game on a gambling website using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) or virtual assets
- placed a bet and/or played a game on a gambling website using money directly from your credit card (that can be paid off each month).
Each indicator is assigned a strength rating and score to reflect the level of confidence that it indicates consumer engagement with an illegal gambling website. The Index combines these scores with the recency of reported behaviours, distinguishing between activity in the past 4 weeks, past 12 months, and more than 12 months ago. This approach enables identification of likely illegal gambling website users while recognising varying levels of evidence and confidence.
Based on their scores and the timing of reported behaviours, respondents are classified into 4 groups: illegal gambling website users in the past 4 weeks, illegal gambling website users in the past 12 months, those demonstrating limited indications of use, and those demonstrating no indications of use.
More detail on the development and calculation of the Illegal Gambling Index can be found in the full report.
Key findings from the GSGB
Using the Illegal Gambling Index, the first year of data from the GSGB, covering April 2025 to April 2026, has been analysed. Key findings are highlighted here.
0.6% of respondents have engaged with illegal gambling websites within the past 4 weeks and a further 0.4% in the past 12 months (but not in the past 4 weeks).
4.6% of respondents demonstrated limited indications of engagement, meaning that they have displayed some indications of engagement with illegal gambling websites in the past 12 months (or longer ago) but there is insufficient evidence to confidently categorise them as having used an illegal gambling website within the past 4 weeks or in the past 12 months.
Findings estimate that among the whole population (including those who do not gamble), 94.4% of respondents showing no indication of using an illegal gambling website.
Those who gambled online refers to individuals who gambled online in the past 12 months, excluding those whose only gambling activity was National Lottery products.
Among those who gambled online in the past 12 months, 2.5% had engaged with illegal gambling websites within the past 4 weeks, and 1.5% had engaged in the past 12 months (but not in the past 4 weeks).
Engagement with illegal gambling websites was higher amongst males than females, and tended to be more prevalent amongst younger adults in the past 12 months, particularly those aged 18 to 24. In contrast, engagement among 25 to 34-year-olds was more evident within the past 4 weeks.
Among illegal gambling website users, the most common behavioural indicators reported within the past 12 months were using a gambling website known to 'not be registered with Gamstop’ (58.0%) and ‘cancelling a withdrawal before it reached a bank and/or wallet on a gambling website’ (56.6%).
Forward look
Once larger sample sizes are acquired through future waves of data, it will be possible to undertake more detailed analysis of illegal gambling website users, including exploring associations with a wider range of variables within the GSGB. This will also enable the monitoring and reporting of trends over time.
As the gambling landscape changes, new indicators may be added to the Illegal Gambling Index, and existing indicators may be revised or removed. Accordingly, the scoring framework may be recalculated to ensure the index remains robust, relevant, and capable of accurately capturing consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites.
In addition to having the capability to monitor overall consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites, the Commission aims to track the different persona groups within this population. These personas were identified and explored in depth through previous phases of this strand of research. Most recently, Phase 3 provided clear metrics through which prevalence of some of the persona groups can be identified using the GSGB. Building on the existing GSGB illegal gambling questions, an additional suite of questions developed within Phase 3 will be incorporated into the GSGB 2027, Wave 1. This will help the Commission develop a more complete understanding of participation in online illegal gambling.
Full publications
View the 'Phase 4 - Initial findings from new data on consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites' report.
View the accompanying technical report ‘Phase 4: Illegal Gambling Index Technical Report'.
Notes
Data tables for this release will be published in due course.
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