Illegal betting sites expect half a billion pounds during jump season

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warns that around 500 million pounds is expected to be staked with illegal betting operators during Britain's National Hunt season. At this weekend's three-day Cheltenham November Meeting festival, 10 million pounds is forecast to be staked with illegal operators.

The season runs from October to April and includes major races such as the King George VI Chase, the Cheltenham Festival in March and the Grand National in April. Licensed operators must follow strict rules, such as age verification, anti-money laundering checks and safer betting measures. Illegal sites offer none of these protections, do not pay UK tax and make no contribution to British racing.

According to independent analysis by WARC, unregulated operators account for almost half of betting advertising spend in the UK. H2 Gambling Capital estimates suggest that the amount staked with illegal operators could rise from over 17 billion pounds in 2026 to more than 33 billion pounds in 2028.

BGC Director General Grainne Hurst said the organisation will continue working closely with the government and the Gambling Commission to tackle the black market. Hurst noted that the regulated sector supports 109,000 jobs, contributes 6.8 billion pounds to the economy and generates over 4 billion pounds in tax revenue a year. BGC members also contribute more than 350 million pounds a year to British racing.