UK Gambling Commission Survey Estimates 2.5% Illegal Site Use Among Online Gamblers

The UK Gambling Commission has published initial findings estimating that 2.5% of adults in Great Britain who gambled online in the previous year used an illegal gambling website in the four weeks before the survey. A further 1.5% used such sites during the previous 12 months but not in the preceding four weeks. Across all adults, the figures are 0.6% and 0.4% respectively.

94.4% of respondents showed no indication of illegal site use. Another 4.6% displayed some indicators without enough evidence for classification. The data draws from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain across four quarterly waves from April 2025 to April 2026, covering 14,257 respondents including 3,569 who had gambled online.

Behaviours Used to Identify Illegal Site Use

The Commission’s index evaluated seven behaviours. These include using sites known not to be registered with Gamstop, signing up where age or identity checks are absent, cancelling withdrawals, and using a VPN for restricted sites. Among those classified as users, 58% accessed a non-Gamstop site. 56.6% cancelled a withdrawal, a function banned for licensed operators since 2021. Nearly 47% signed up to avoid verification requirements.

The survey identified higher use among men (0.9%) than women (0.4%). For ages 18-24, 2.2% engaged over the prior year. The rate for ages 25-34 stood at 1.1% in the previous four weeks. As reported by iGaming Business, only 128 respondents were classified as users.

Limitations and Regulatory Response

The Commission noted the small sample limits broader analysis while cautioning that use may concentrate in particular groups. Sue Young, the Commission’s executive director for operations, stated: “While engagement with the illegal market from an overall population perspective appears low and stable from these indicators, there is a cohort of online gamblers who use these sites and research suggests those consumers who use illegal operators are more likely to experience harm.”

The regulator will add targeted questions in 2027. It continues to work with government, industry, technology firms, and financial services on disruption efforts. Ismail Vali, president of Gaming Compliance International, highlighted the unregulated share of online gross gaming revenue rising from 0.43% in 2020 to an estimated 9% by the end of 2025. The sample constraints and demographic patterns signal that enforcement strategies must adapt to address underreported risks without overgeneralizing from limited data.