BGC urges tech giants to help fight illegal gambling in the UK as black market stakes could reach £33 billion

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has told major technology platforms to do more against illegal gambling operators reaching UK consumers through social media, search, messaging, and digital ad networks. For licensed PSPs and gambling operators, the message is simple: the black market is not staying in one lane, and the distribution layer matters as much as the betting site itself.

1. The BGC’s open letter, published on Tuesday and signed by chief executive Grainne Hurst, called for improved detection techniques and cross-platform information sharing, and said tech companies should treat illegal gambling as an urgent consumer protection issue. The letter also pushed for proactive identification and removal of illegal gambling ads before users see them.
2. Hurst said the industry should no longer be asking whether the problem can be addressed, but whether enough is being done. She added that “complexity cannot become an excuse for inertia,” a line that will sound familiar to anyone who has spent time trying to stop bad actors from simply moving from one channel to another.
3. H2 Gambling Capital estimates that stakes placed with illegal sites could rise from approximately £17 billion currently to £33 billion within five years. That is the kind of number that makes compliance teams, acquirers, and risk committees pay attention, because it points to growing demand being captured outside the licensed ecosystem.
4. The BGC said illegal operators are using digital channels to reach UK users, including people who have self-excluded or are seeking help for gambling problems. It also said these sites are not subject to the safeguards in the UK licensed sector, do not undergo customer protection checks, do not contribute to mandated research and treatment levies, and do not remit UK taxes.
5. Hurst cited WARC analysis showing that illegal gambling advertisers accounted for almost half of all gambling advertising expenditures in Britain, with forecasts suggesting black market operators may surpass licensed operators’ advertising presence by 2028. The Gambling Commission has also said tracking illegal gambling is harder because of increased VPN usage, and that recent data suggests an even larger share of activity may be hidden than the 30% uplift previously applied.

The DCMS has also set up a cross-body Illegal Gambling Taskforce. For PSPs, the practical takeaway is that payment controls, ad monitoring, and platform cooperation are increasingly part of the same enforcement conversation, even if the tools sit in different departments.