BGC Urges UK Government to Target Networks Sustaining $50 Billion Illegal Gambling Market

The Betting and Gaming Council is pressing the UK government to disrupt the networks that sustain illegal online gambling after a Fincord Intelligence report detailed the black market’s scale and methods.

Unlicensed operators generated roughly $50 billion in revenue in 2025. The estimate draws from review of some 5,000 operator structures that deployed as many as 15,000 websites and apps. These platforms routinely target self-excluded players, skip identity and financial checks, and impose no betting limits. Advertising flows through search engines, social media, affiliates, and influencers. Mirror domains and VPN access further shield the operators from enforcement.

The report notes similar patterns in Ukraine, where gambling businesses tied to Russia continue serving local audiences and creating financial and national security risks.

Why Blocking Websites Is No Longer Enough

Fincord Intelligence described the illegal ecosystem as a sophisticated international network of operators, payment providers, crypto services, technology suppliers, and marketers. “In Britain, these networks target customers – including people who have self-excluded – through social media, messaging platforms and mirror sites. The Ukraine case demonstrates how the same type of interconnected infrastructure can also create wider financial crime and national security risks,” a Fincord Intelligence spokesperson said.

Simply blocking individual websites will not suffice. Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, stated that illegal gambling “is no longer simply a regulatory issue.” She added: “The Government must step up its efforts to coordinate law enforcement, regulators, payment providers and technology companies to target the networks supporting these operators – not just individual websites.”

The BGC separately forecasts $1.09 billion in illegal wagers on the Premier League season alone, as reported by Gambling News.

What Targeted Enforcement Must Address

Authorities should shift focus to intermediaries including payment providers, affiliates, marketers, software suppliers, and infrastructure hosts. This network-level pressure offers a more durable response than site-by-site blocks and would reduce the edge currently held by unlicensed operators who ignore the safeguards required of licensed firms. Regulators and licensed operators now have clearer evidence that sustained coordination across enforcement, financial, and technology channels is required to shrink the black market.

Reporting: GamblingNews

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