The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has revealed that illegal operators received £100 million in bets during the Grand National festival at Aintree. It’s estimated that around £40 million in illegal bets were placed on the main race with unlicensed operators, as the race is one of the most followed betting events in the UK’s
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has revealed that illegal operators received £100 million in bets during the Grand National festival at Aintree.
It’s estimated that around £40 million in illegal bets were placed on the main race with unlicensed operators, as the race is one of the most followed betting events in the UK’s sports calendar.
The BGC has connected the rise of illegal bets to the increasing pressures on licensed operators that have to follow strict customer checks and require users to give personal financial information, which can potentially push them towards offshore websites that do not use any player verification methods.
The CEO of the BGC, Grainne Hurst, commented:
“The Grand National is one of the biggest moments in the sporting calendar, enjoyed safely by millions. But the criminal, harmful black market will also have tried to cash in, targeting punters with illegal betting that offers zero protection. Rising costs and increasingly intrusive checks will only make it harder for legitimate operators to compete. The priority must be keeping punters in the regulated market, where safeguards are in place, rather than driving them towards dangerous illegal operators.”
The BGC also stressed that enforcement action against illegal betting operators must be a top priority for policymakers and regulators, arguing that the Grand National event showed how unlicensed operators can lure bettors to their platforms.