The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has unveiled its five-point plan to stem the tide of illegal gambling in the UK market, as CEO Grainne Hurst warned the black market was a “consumer protection issue, a public health issue and a criminal justice issue”.
The plan comes after the government confirmed the launch of the Illegal Gambling Taskforce, while the Gambling Commission has been handed £26m to combat the issue.
The BGC has also called on the new taskforce’s efforts to be “strengthened and translated into concrete action”.
Part of the plan involves shutting down illegal advertising by asking social media companies to take greater responsibility in tackling the issue.
The trade body wants to put the onus on these firms to remove illegal gambling content and advertisements from their platforms, thereby limiting the exposure of unlicensed operators to children and other vulnerable cohorts.
Research conducted by intelligence firm WARC, on behalf of the BGC, estimated black market operators would outspend their licensed counterparts on advertising within the next two years.
The BGC is also calling for the Gambling Commission to be given stronger powers to block illegal gambling websites, remove unlicensed betting apps, and “disrupt criminal operators targeting British consumers”.
A BGC statement read: “Illegal operators can rapidly create new websites and applications designed to mimic legitimate gambling brands, making enforcement increasingly difficult.
“The growth of the black market underlines the need for stronger powers. Analysis by H2 Gambling Capital shows the amount staked with illegal operators surged to £16.6bn in 2025, more than tripling since 2019 and doubling in the last two years alone.
The statement added: “Regulators need the ability to remove illegal sites more quickly and make it harder for criminal operators to reach consumers.”
The trade body has also urged payment providers to cease facilitating transactions linked to illegal gambling operators in order to “disrupt the financial networks that sustain the black market”.
Additionally, the action plan mentions implementing stronger sanctions against companies and individuals involved in illegal gambling operations.
The BGC wants stronger penalties for companies that “knowingly provide advertising, payment processing, hosting or other services to illegal gambling businesses”.
This is in addition to calling for tougher criminal sanctions against individuals “who operate, support or profit from illegal gambling operations targeting UK consumers”.
H2 Gambling Capital estimated UK customers spent more than £16.6bn on the black market last year, more than triple the figure recorded in 2019.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “The black market is growing fast, becoming more visible and attracting billions of pounds in stakes from British consumers.
“If current trends continue, black market gambling stakes could exceed £33bn within three years, with almost £1 in every £5 staked online potentially ending up with illegal operators. That should concern anyone who cares about consumer protection and reducing gambling-related harm.
“Illegal gambling operators offer none of the protections required in the regulated sector. They do not conduct safer gambling interventions, they do not carry out identity checks, they do not verify age properly and they provide no route to redress when things go wrong. Every customer who is driven into the black market loses those protections.”
Hurst continued: “If policymakers fail to tackle this growing threat, more gambling will take place in environments with no safeguards, no oversight and no consumer protections.
“This is not simply an issue for the regulated industry. It is a consumer protection issue, a public health issue and a criminal justice issue.
“The evidence is already clear. Illegal operators are targeting British consumers online, advertising through social media, processing payments through legitimate financial systems and exploiting gaps in enforcement.
“Government, regulators, technology companies and payment providers must work together to stop illegal operators reaching British consumers, cut off their funding and hold those who facilitate their activities accountable.
“Our five-point plan sets out practical, targeted measures that would strike at the heart of the black market and better protect consumers.”
The post Betting and Gaming Council unveils five-point action plan to combat black market first appeared on EGR Intel.
Multi-pronged initiative includes measures to halt illegal gambling advertising, introduce stricter regulations for payment providers and bring in heavier sanctions against unlicensed operators
The post Betting and Gaming Council unveils five-point action plan to combat black market first appeared on EGR Intel.