Betting and Gaming Council Warns That Unlicensed Operators Threaten Consumer Protections and British Sport as Tax Pressures Mount
The illicit gambling black market is projected to handle up to £800 million in wagers over the course of the upcoming Premier League season, with approximately £20 million expected to be staked with criminal operators during the opening weekend alone. According to forecasts, that figure is poised to climb by an additional £200 million next season, pushing total illegal betting on the Premier League toward £1 .bn annually following planned increases in General Betting Duty slated for April.
As the world’s most-watched football league and one of the largest betting events in the global sporting calendar, a typical weekend currently sees between £15 million and £20 million wagered through unlicensed channels. While millions of fans continue to place bets safely with regulated operators, criminal firms are aggressively targeting the market, offering products that circumvent UK law entirely and provide zero consumer protections, safer gambling safeguards, or financial standards.
The Impact of Tax Pressures and Advertising Shifts
The warnings come as the regulated sector faces intense pressure from escalating taxes. Independent analysis from H2 Gambling Capital warns that forthcoming increases to General Betting Duty will strain licensed operators further. Meanwhile, recent research from WARC highlights that unregulated operators now account for nearly half of all UK gambling advertising expenditure. Projections by H2 Gambling Capital further estimate that total stakes handled by illegal operators across Britain will nearly double from approximately £17 billion this year to over £33 billion by 2028.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has supported measures to raise standards, including the removal of front-of-shirt betting sponsors from Premier League kits this season. The organization has also welcomed government plans to block Premier League clubs from accepting sponsorships from operators lacking a UK licence, while advocating for even stricter measures to prevent illegal firms from sponsoring any sport nationwide. However, the BGC cautions that as visible regulated advertising decreases, player demand does not vanish; instead, it migrates toward unregulated digital channels where illegal operators are expanding rapidly.
Commenting on the growing threat, Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, stated:
“Millions of football fans will enjoy a bet safely with regulated operators this season, backing their team week in, week out. But the criminal black market is looking to cash in too, taking millions of pounds on every round of matches while offering customers none of the protections found in the regulated sector. These operators pay no tax, fund nothing and answer to no one. Every pound they take is a pound lost to British sport and to the Treasury. Licensed operators are regulated in Britain and follow strict rules on consumer protection, safer gambling and robust financial safeguards. Illegal black market operators do not. They undermine player protections, avoid taxes, ignore safer gambling standards and put consumers at serious risk. With illegal betting on the Premier League on course to reach £1bn a season, we support action that protects fans, upholds standards and keeps customers safe within the regulated market.”
Economic Contribution of the Regulated Sector
The regulated betting and gaming industry remains a vital economic contributor in the UK, supporting more than 109,000 jobs, contributing £6.8 billion to the economy, and generating over £4 billion in tax revenue annually. The BGC emphasizes that cracking down on the criminal networks behind illegal gambling websites must remain a national priority to safeguard consumers and ensure participants remain within the protected, regulated environment.
