The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned that illegal gambling operators could receive around £200 million in wagers during this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as football’s biggest tournament drives increased betting activity.
According to the BGC, more than £1 billion is expected to be staked with regulated betting operators in Britain during the competition. However, the organisation estimates that unlicensed operators could also attract significant volumes by offering betting products outside the UK’s regulatory framework.
The trade body said criminal operators do not provide the consumer protections required of licensed businesses, including age verification, anti-money laundering controls and safer gambling measures.
The BGC also argued that proposed financial risk checks could affect competition between regulated and unregulated operators. It cited modelling suggesting that, if the assessments are implemented as envisaged during pilot schemes, betting with illegal operators during the World Cup could increase by up to £50 million, taking total black market stakes to as much as £250 million.
The same analysis estimates that more than 400,000 customers could be subject to financial risk checks during the tournament, with over 50,000 potentially moving to unlicensed platforms.
The organisation pointed to separate research from WARC indicating that unregulated operators account for almost half of UK gambling advertising expenditure, while analysis from H2 Gambling Capital projects that annual stakes with illegal operators in Britain could rise from £17 billion in 2025 to more than £33 billion by 2028.
The BGC said tackling illegal gambling websites should remain a priority to ensure consumers continue to use regulated operators, where safeguards and regulatory oversight are in place.
According to the organisation, the regulated betting and gaming industry supports more than 109,000 jobs in the UK, contributes £6.8 billion to the economy and generates approximately £4 billion in annual tax revenues.
Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “During the World Cup, millions of customers will enjoy a flutter safely with regulated operators throughout the tournament.
“But while football fans back their teams, the criminal black market will also be looking to cash in, targeting customers with illegal gambling that offers none of the protections available in the regulated sector.
“At a time when illegal operators are already expected to take hundreds of millions of pounds in bets during the World Cup, policies that make it harder for regulated operators to compete, strengthening the hand of the black market.
“The priority must be keeping customers in the regulated market, where robust protections are in place, rather than pushing them towards illegal operators.”
