Entain UK&I MD says customers are “sitting ducks for illegal operators”

Nearly three quarters of UK adults struggle to identify adverts from unlicensed betting companies, according to research commissioned by Entain.  

The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Ladbrokes and Coral parent, sampled 2,017 UK-based adults in May 2026. 

The results showed 74% of respondents actively struggled to identify legitimately licensed betting platforms.  

Although 80% of survey participants said they were unlikely to knowingly use a black market site, just 10% claimed it was easy to distinguish whether a betting promotion on social media is from a licensed operator.

Furthermore, only 7% of respondents said UK regulations are very effective at preventing illegal gambling, and one in three (33%) say the government is not doing enough to protect UK citizens from illegal operators. 

In response, Entain has launched an educational social media campaign featuring internet personality ‘Big John’ designed to raise awareness of the risks of betting with black market platforms.  

The video series has been released to run alongside the 2026 World Cup, currently underway across the US, Canada and Mexico.

The content explains issues such as misleading bonuses and lack of regulation to players, using everyday analogies to make it easier for audiences to understand.

The first video in the series is currently available to watch on X, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Big John, real name John Fisher, has almost 800,000 followers on Instagram and has previously appeared in Coral adverts for the London-listed operator.

In recent weeks, EGR has reported on black market affiliates scraping licensed operator’s IP to produce mimic sites which purport to be linked to regulated businesses, but instead redirect users to illegal sites.

Impacted brands uncovered by EGR include Betfred, Bally’s and Betty.

Bejay Patel, MD for UK and Ireland at Entain, said: “This research reveals a genuinely concerning gap between consumer confidence and consumer reality.

“People are confident they would avoid illegal operators, yet most cannot reliably identify them online. Nearly three quarters of UK adults are sitting ducks for illegal operators to exploit major sporting events such as the World Cup. 

“The UK’s regulated gambling market offers some of the strongest consumer protections in the world. The illegal market offers none of these safeguards, leaving people exposed to fraud, unfair treatment and serious harm. 

“With the World Cup now underway, it is more important than ever that we raise awareness of these risks. Our campaign with Big John is designed to do exactly that, reaching audiences where illegal operators are most active and providing clear, simple information to help them stay safe.” 

Research published by Entain earlier this month warned of a highly coordinated network of influencers and content creators promoting offshore gambling operators which is now “operating at scale” across UK social media. 

The network was said to be particularly targeting young men betting on this summer’s World Cup.  

The FTSE 100 operator has also urged the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to review its registration process so as to prevent unlicensed betting firms from securing UK trademarks. 

The post Entain UK&I MD says customers are “sitting ducks for illegal operators” first appeared on EGR Intel.

 Research commissioned by the operator shows three quarters of adults struggle to identify black market ads, as it launches educational social media campaign starring internet personality ‘Big John’
The post Entain UK&I MD says customers are “sitting ducks for illegal operators” first appeared on EGR Intel.