UKGC Survey Finds 2.5% of Online Gamblers Used Illegal Websites

BIRMINGHAM, England – The UK Gambling Commission published new survey findings showing that 2.5% of online gamblers had used illegal gambling websites in the previous four weeks. The regulator found relatively low engagement across the wider population but identified higher participation among men and younger adults.

The findings come from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) and introduce a new method of estimating illegal gambling participation. The Commission also updated its Illegal Gambling Data Dashboard to track unlicensed operators, consumer engagement and the impact of enforcement activity.

UKGC Survey Finds Illegal Gambling More Common Among Online Players

The Gambling Commission’s new survey findings on illegal gambling suggest that most British consumers show no signs of using unlicensed gambling websites.

Across all respondents, including those who do not gamble, 94.4% showed no indication of illegal gambling website use. An estimated 0.6% had engaged with illegal sites within the previous four weeks, while another 0.4% had done so during the past 12 months but not within the most recent four-week period.

Participation was higher among people who had gambled online during the preceding 12 months, excluding those whose only online gambling involved National Lottery products. Within this group, 2.5% showed evidence of illegal gambling website use during the previous four weeks, with another 1.5% indicating engagement earlier in the year.

Combined, these estimates suggest that approximately 4% of online gamblers had engaged with illegal websites during the past 12 months. The figures are based on survey indicators rather than directly observed website visits or financial transactions.

The regulator also identified differences across demographic groups. Men showed higher engagement with illegal gambling websites than women, while younger adults were more likely to demonstrate indicators of unlicensed gambling activity.

People aged 18 to 24 showed particularly high engagement over the past 12 months. Among those aged 25 to 34, indicators of more recent activity were more prominent.

New Gambling Index Tracks Consumer Behavior

The findings form part of the Commission’s fourth phase of illegal gambling research, which uses survey responses collected between April 2025 and April 2026.

Researchers developed an Illegal Gambling Index based on seven behavioral indicators that may suggest someone has used an unlicensed website. These include deliberately accessing gambling websites outside GamStop, using a VPN to reach restricted gambling services, and gambling with cryptocurrency or certain virtual assets.

The index assigns different scores to these behaviors according to how strongly they indicate illegal gambling. It is designed to identify potential engagement even when consumers do not know whether the websites they use are licensed.

The Commission emphasized that individual indicators do not necessarily establish illegal gambling participation. A further 4.6% of survey respondents showed limited indications of engagement, but the evidence was insufficient to confidently classify them as recent illegal website users.

The new approach provides a baseline for future comparisons, although researchers will need additional survey data to examine trends and identify more detailed patterns among people using unlicensed gambling services.

UKGC Expands Illegal Gambling Monitoring and Enforcement

Alongside the research, the Commission released an updated Illegal Gambling Data Dashboard combining information on unlicensed operators, consumer demand and regulatory disruption efforts.

The dashboard identified 586 illegal gambling websites accessible to British consumers in September 2026. It also recorded enforcement activity against 311 illegal websites during the second quarter of the 2026–27 financial year, an increase of 38% from the previous quarter.

Among disrupted websites with sufficient traffic data for comparison, 77% experienced a reduction in estimated visits following enforcement action. The regulator cautioned that observed traffic changes cannot necessarily be attributed entirely to its interventions.

Sue Young, the Commission’s executive director for operations, emphasized the importance of continuing to address unlicensed gambling and its potential effects on consumers.

The latest findings follow earlier banking transaction research, which identified 3,426 suspected illegal gambling transactions involving 179 individuals. That analysis found elevated gambling-harm indicators among identified users but could not establish the overall size of Britain’s illegal market.

Unlike the banking study, the latest survey examines self-reported behavior across a broader population. Together, the findings give the Commission different ways to assess illegal gambling participation, identify potential consumer risks and monitor the effectiveness of enforcement efforts.

The regulator plans to continue collecting survey data and working with government agencies, financial institutions, technology companies and licensed operators to disrupt unlicensed gambling. No new gambling restrictions were announced alongside the November 5 findings.

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