Black Market Poised to Take £500 Million from UK Jump Racing Season, BGC Warns

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warns that illegal bookmakers will take around £500 million during Britain’s 2026-27 National Hunt season. £10 million is expected to be staked illegally at this weekend’s Cheltenham November Meeting, with the King George VI Chase, Cheltenham Festival, and Grand National to follow.

The warning precedes Safer Gambling Week from 16-22 November. Licensed bookmakers comply with age verification, anti-money laundering, and safer gambling rules. Illegal sites offer no such protections, pay no UK tax, and contribute nothing to racing, as reported by iGaming Business.

Criminals Targeting the Season

“Britain’s National Hunt season is one of the highlights of our sporting calendar, but criminal gambling operators are also looking to cash in,” said BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst. “These operators contribute nothing to British racing, pay no UK tax and offer none of the vital protections customers expect from licensed bookmakers.”

Hurst said the BGC would keep working with the government and the Gambling Commission to tackle the black market. The BGC cited WARC analysis showing unregulated operators account for almost half of UK gambling advertising spend. It pointed to H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that illegal stakes could grow from £17 billion in 2026 to more than £33 billion by 2028.

The Enforcement Challenge and Racing Contributions

Independent data from the IFHA shows unlicensed sites drew 19.4 visits for every 100 to licensed sites in the first seven months of 2026, up from about 1 per 100 in late 2021. The rate rose almost seven-fold across 32 sites taking bets on British racing.

The Gambling Commission has issued more than 3,100 cease-and-desist or disruption notices since April 2024, yet the IFHA found no sustained fall in illegal traffic. British Horseracing Authority chief executive Brant Dunshea warned that racing customers who move to illegal operators face “greater risks and fewer consumer protections”.

Europe’s black market has grown 18% a year since 2019 according to a report for Euromat. The rise in UK remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% could push the UK black market to as much as €1 billion. BGC members contribute more than £350 million a year to British horse racing. Online betting duty rises to 25% in April 2027, but remote bets on UK horse racing stay at 15%.

The combination of surging traffic, heavy advertising by unlicensed operators, and impending tax increases signals that enforcement alone may not suffice. Regulators and the BGC must intensify efforts with technology platforms and banks to disrupt the black market at its sources. British racing stands to lose significant funding if these trends persist unchecked.