Illegal gambling use in the UK remains low and stable

The UK Gambling Commission has introduced the Illegal Gambling Index, a new system for measuring illegal gambling. The index was developed by the Commission and the research firm Yonder Consulting, and is part of a multi-stage programme that examines user contact with unlicensed operators.

The index combines seven reported behavioural indicators to identify use of illegal sites. These include using a site not registered with GamStop, signing up to sites that do not require age or identity verification, and using a VPN or cryptocurrency to access gambling services. The system also takes into account when the behaviours occurred, separating the last four weeks, the last 12 months and earlier periods.

The initial findings are based on the first year of Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) data, covering April 2025 to April 2026. According to this data, one in every 40 people who gambled online in the last 12 months visited illegal gambling sites in the four weeks before the survey. Among those who gamble, 2.5 percent visited these sites in the last four weeks, and 1.5 percent did so in the last 12 months but outside the last four weeks. Looking at all participants, including those who do not gamble, the rates were 0.6 percent and 0.4 percent. In addition, 4.6 percent of all participants showed limited signs, but the Commission stated there was not enough evidence to classify these people as users.

There are also differences by age and gender. Use of illegal sites is higher among men than women. Over the last 12 months, use is particularly common among young people aged 18 to 24, while among those aged 25 to 34 it is more noticeable in the last four weeks. The behaviours most frequently reported by illegal site users over the last 12 months were using a site not registered with GamStop (58 percent) and cancelling a withdrawal before it reached a bank account or wallet (56.6 percent).