UK Gambling Commission Establishes Low Illegal Market Participation Baseline
UK Gambling Commission data shows about 1% of British gamblers use illegal platforms, with strong links to problem gambling.Summary
The UK Gambling Commission has published its most detailed assessment of illegal gambling, finding that approximately 1% of British gamblers used unlicensed offshore platforms as of April 2026. Survey data show 0.6% used such sites in the prior four weeks, 0.4% within the prior 12 months, and 4.6% showed limited indications of engagement, while 94.4% showed no sign of illegal gambling. The regulator received an additional £26m in the 2025 government budget to tackle unlicensed activity. The data reveal a strong overlap with harm: 45% of gamblers with a Problem Gambling Severity Index score of eight or more had transacted with illegal sites, and men aged 18-24 are more likely than women to gamble illegally. Officials said the baseline will support trend tracking and targeted enforcement focused on harm-linked cohorts and financial gateways, though total staking volumes on unlicensed sites remain an unresolved data gap.
(Source：Sccg Management)