Entain has warned that a highly coordinated network of influencers and content creators promoting offshore gambling operators is now “operating at scale” across UK social media, targeting young men betting on the World Cup.
New OSINT research commissioned by the Ladbrokes and Coral owner found more than 30 unregulated gambling sites – including Stake, Rainbet and Duelbits – pushing UK‑facing content across Kick, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Twitch.
Researchers logged 72 promotional instances spanning 44 influencers, clippers and tipster accounts, with several operators already producing World Cup‑themed material before the tournament began.
Entain said the findings show illegal gambling promotion has evolved into an “always‑on” presence embedded within mainstream content consumed by UK males aged 14-25.
Activity spans football culture, gaming, ‘manosphere’ influencers and viral short‑form video, with operators using coordinated influencer networks to drive traffic via referral codes, affiliate links and VPN‑based workarounds.
Researchers identified global football celebrities including Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Iker Casillas acting as ambassadors for offshore brands, giving unregulated operators access to audiences “running into tens of millions”.
The report also uncovered AI‑generated YouTube personas showing UK users how to bypass gambling restrictions, alongside services offering identity‑verification loopholes.
Streaming platform Kick, which is owned by Easygo Entertainment, the company behind Stake, was highlighted as a central node in the illegal ecosystem, hosting a dedicated gambling category with minimal age checks.
Content from Kick is routinely clipped and redistributed across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, where around 20% of the UK audience is estimated to be under 18.
Influencers with large young‑male followings – including HSTikkyTokky, Ed Matthews and Adin Ross – were found blending gambling promotion with displays of wealth, gym culture and high‑risk behaviour.
Researchers also identified at least 12 football fan and tipster accounts posting identical betting tips simultaneously, suggesting coordinated affiliate campaigns with little or no disclosure.
The findings contrast sharply with the tight regulatory framework governing UK‑licensed operators. Under ASA and CAP rules, gambling ads must not be targeted at under‑18s, must avoid featuring individuals with strong youth appeal, and must not appear on channels where a significant proportion of the audience is underage.
The Gambling Commission also requires clear disclosure of commercial relationships, robust age‑gating and strict controls on influencer partnerships, including prohibitions on using personalities likely to appeal to young men.
By comparison, the report found no meaningful safeguards across the unregulated ecosystem, with age checks weak or absent and promotional content routinely embedded in youth‑skewing environments.
Bejay Patel, Entain’s MD for UK and Ireland, said: “As the men’s World Cup is underway, this research is a wake‑up call to government, regulators and law enforcement agencies that illegal gambling promotion is not operating at the fringes but is now operating at scale in the UK with coordinated networks primed to target millions of UK fans during the tournament.
“It also raises serious questions about whether regulators and enforcement agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle the highly coordinated illegal gambling promotion effectively, particularly across global social media platforms.”
The post Entain: Illegal gambling promotion operating at scale across social networks in the UK first appeared on EGR Intel.
Research commissioned by FTSE 100 operator uncovers more than 30 unregulated gambling sites pushing UK‑facing content across seven major social platforms
The post Entain: Illegal gambling promotion operating at scale across social networks in the UK first appeared on EGR Intel.