4% of Online Gamblers in the UK Accessed Illegal Sites

According to the Gambling Commission's new research, 4% of online gamblers in Great Britain used illegal gambling sites in the last 12 months. The proportion of those using these sites in the last four weeks was calculated at 2.5%, and over the last year at 1.5%. Among the adult population, including those who do not gamble, these rates stood at 0.6% and 0.4%.

The Commission used a new Illegal Gambling Index made up of seven behavioural indicators, including gambling with cryptocurrency, accessing restricted sites via VPN, using sites outside Gamstop, and playing without age or identity verification. The research found that men, and especially young adults aged 18 to 24, showed higher participation.

According to the data dashboard published by the Commission, as of September 2026, 586 illegal gambling sites accessible to British consumers had been identified. This figure rose 4% compared with September 2025. Interventions against illegal sites also increased: in the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, action was taken on 311 sites, a 38% increase on the previous quarter.

The Commission said the current indicators do not show continuous or significant growth in illegal online gambling. However, it noted that these measures are estimates and that it cannot make a firm assessment of the total size of the market.