BGC sets out five-point plan to combat illegal gambling in the UK as stakes forecast to rise from £17 billion in 2025 to more than £33 billion by 2028

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has launched a five-point plan aimed at reducing the reach of illegal gambling operators in the United Kingdom. For PSPs, acquirers, banks and platforms, the message is straightforward: enforcement is moving beyond gambling licenses and into advertising, website blocking, payments and service-provider liability.

1. The BGC says it represents approximately 90% of the regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK and is calling for closer cooperation between government agencies, regulators, technology companies and financial institutions. Its argument is that illegal operators are becoming a bigger threat to consumer protection and market integrity, not just a side issue for the gambling sector.
2. Forecasts cited by the organisation suggest that stakes placed with illegal gambling operators could rise from £17 billion in 2025 to more than £33 billion by 2028. If that happens, nearly one in every five pounds wagered online could be flowing to unlicensed operators within three years.
3. The first part of the plan targets illegal advertising. The BGC says unlicensed operators are using social media platforms, affiliate marketing networks and digital advertising channels to reach UK consumers, and it wants technology companies and social media platforms to remove content promoting illegal gambling services faster and more decisively.
4. The trade body says illegal operators often exploit gaps in content moderation systems and, in some cases, use marketing techniques that regulated operators are prohibited from using under UK advertising rules. For compliant PSPs and media partners, that is the familiar asymmetry: the regulated side pays for controls, the unlicensed side spends on reach.
5. The remaining pillars of the plan focus on website blocking powers, payment restrictions, accountability for service providers and stronger criminal sanctions. In practice, that puts payment rails squarely in the frame, which is where many high-risk businesses end up feeling enforcement before they see it anywhere else.

The BGC’s proposal is aimed at disrupting illegal operators while reinforcing the protections in the regulated market. The relevant point for payment providers is that UK policy is increasingly treating gambling enforcement as an ecosystem problem, with ad tech, payments and infrastructure all expected to do more than simply process transactions.