BGC Forecasts GBP 800 Million in Illegal Bets During the Premier League Season

The British Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) says the new English Premier League season could drive up to GBP 800 million in bets through illegal operators. For regulated PSPs and operators, the point is simple: when legal channels get squeezed, the black market does not wait politely on the sidelines.

1. The BGC said GBP 20 million was staked with illegal operators over the Premier League’s opening weekend alone. It framed the tournament as a major betting event, but added that a large share of that action is now happening outside UK law.
2. Looking ahead, the council warned that illegal wagering across the EPL season could rise to GBP 1 billion next season if the planned increase in general betting duty takes effect from April 2027. The BGC has repeatedly opposed tax increases, arguing they make the legal market less competitive.
3. The council also pointed to the decision to stop featuring gambling companies’ logos on the front of EPL players’ jerseys as a measure it supports. Its warning, though, is that reduced regulated advertising does not eliminate demand; it simply gives illegal operators more room to take market share.
4. In a statement, the BGC said: “Yet while millions of fans back their teams safely with regulated operators, criminal gambling firms are also lining up to cash in, offering betting products that sit entirely outside UK law and provide none of the standards, safeguards or consumer protections required in the regulated sector.”
5. Grainne Hurst, the BGC’s CEO, said millions of soccer fans are already enjoying the season and will make safe bets with regulated operators, while illegal operators are also trying to capitalize on the tournament. She added that illegal operators “pay no tax, fund nothing and answer to no one.”

The BGC also cited a broader market warning: experts say roughly half of all UK gambling advertising spend is by unlicensed companies, and the amount staked with illegal operators could reach GBP 33 billion by 2028.