Gambling Commission launches Illegal Gambling Index as online use remains low

The new framework combines seven behavioural indicators to create a long-term measure of engagement with unlicensed gambling websites.

Key takeaways

• The Gambling Commission has launched an Illegal Gambling Index based on seven behavioural indicators linked to unlicensed gambling.
• First-year Gambling Survey for Great Britain data found that 1 per cent of respondents showed engagement with illegal gambling websites in the previous 12 months.
• Among people who gambled online, 4 per cent demonstrated engagement with illegal gambling websites.
• Around 2.5 per cent of online gamblers reported using an illegal gambling website in the four weeks before being surveyed.
• The regulator plans to add new survey questions in 2027 to better understand four identified illegal gambling user personas.

The Gambling Commission has introduced a new Illegal Gambling Index designed to provide a more reliable way of monitoring consumer engagement with unlicensed gambling websites. Built from seven behavioural indicators and supported by a multi-phase research programme, the index will be used alongside Gambling Survey for Great Britain data to track trends in the illegal market and inform future regulatory and consumer protection work.

UK.- The British Gambling Commission has launched a new Illegal Gambling Index designed to provide a more reliable way of measuring consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites, with initial findings suggesting that use of the unlicensed market remains relatively limited but concentrated among certain groups of online gamblers.

The new index combines seven self-reported behavioural indicators linked to illegal gambling activity and is intended to give regulators a more comprehensive picture of how consumers interact with unlicensed operators. The Index identifies potential illegal gambling activity through seven behaviours linked to a higher likelihood of using unlicensed operators. These include gambling on sites not registered with Gamstop, opening accounts without age or identity verification checks, cancelling withdrawals before funds are paid out, and using virtual private networks to access gambling services unavailable in Great Britain.

The framework was developed through a multi-phase research programme that included consumer surveys, interviews, focus groups, expert input and advice from specialist Commission panels.

Writing on the Gambling Commission blog, Research and Impact Manager Rupam Jagota said: “Understanding the consumer characteristics of illegal online gambling has been no easy task. By its nature, consumer engagement is hidden, driven by a complex number of factors, and sometimes unintentional, which makes it difficult to measure through traditional survey methods.

“Simply asking consumers whether they have used an illegal gambling website will not provide a reliable picture of their engagement, as it depends too much upon a consumer being aware of the illegal market existing, understanding how to identify an illegal gambling website, and being willing and capable of reporting their behaviour accurately. The Illegal Gambling Index was developed to address these challenges. Rather than relying on a single measure.”

Jagota added that the tool has been designed to evolve alongside the market. “The Illegal Gambling Index has therefore been designed to be an adaptable measure, as we learn more about the illegal gambling market, we can refine and update the Index to ensure that it provides a current and reliable measure of consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites,” he said.

Gambling Survey for Great Britain data

The first year of data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain indicates that 1 per cent of respondents demonstrated engagement with an illegal gambling website during the previous 12 months. Among people who had gambled online during that period, the figure rose to 4 per cent.

Additional data published by the Commission found that around 2.5 per cent of adults who had gambled online in the previous year used an illegal gambling website in the four weeks before being surveyed. A further 1.5 per cent reported using one at some point in the previous 12 months, but not during the preceding four-week period.

Across the wider adult population, including non-gamblers, the comparable figures were 0.6 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

The estimates are based on four quarterly waves of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain conducted between April 2025 and April 2026. The study included 14,257 respondents, of whom 3,569 had gambled online during the previous year. According to the Commission, 94.4 per cent of respondents showed no indicators of using an illegal gambling website. Another 4.6 per cent displayed some signs associated with illegal gambling, although there was insufficient evidence to classify them as users.

Among respondents classified as illegal gambling users, 58 per cent said they had knowingly used a website that was not registered with Gamstop. Some 56.6 per cent reported cancelling a withdrawal before the funds reached a bank account or digital wallet. Licensed operators in Great Britain have been prohibited from allowing customers to reverse withdrawals since 2021.

Meanwhile, nearly 47 per cent of those identified as illegal-site users said they had joined a gambling website because they knew it would not require age or identity verification checks.

Concerns have been raised about the small sample size given that just 128 respondents were ultimately classified as illegal gambling users. However, Sue Young, the regulator’s executive director for operations, said the findings would help regulators better understand a segment of consumers that may face elevated risks.

“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,” Young said.

The Gambling Commission plans to expand its research in 2027 by introducing supplementary survey questions aimed at better understanding different types of illegal gambling consumers. Earlier research identified four user personas: Self-Excluders, Skilled Advocates, Social Explorers and Accidental Tourists.

The Commission also said it would continue working with government bodies, gambling operators, technology providers and financial institutions to disrupt illegal gambling activity. The UK government has already established an illegal gambling taskforce focused on unlicensed online operators and the payment and advertising systems that support them.

FAQs

What is the Gambling Commission’s Illegal Gambling Index?

The Illegal Gambling Index is a new measurement tool that combines seven behavioural indicators associated with unlicensed gambling activity. It is designed to provide a more reliable picture of consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites over time.

How many people in Great Britain use illegal gambling websites?

The first year of survey data found that 1 per cent of respondents showed engagement with illegal gambling websites in the previous 12 months. Among people who had gambled online, the figure rose to 4 per cent.

What behaviours are used to identify potential illegal gambling use?

The index includes indicators such as using sites not registered with Gamstop, creating accounts without identity checks, cancelling withdrawals before payout and using VPNs to access gambling sites unavailable in Great Britain.

What new research is planned for 2027?

The Gambling Commission will introduce additional survey questions to better understand different groups of illegal gambling consumers, including Self-Excluders, Skilled Advocates, Social Explorers and Accidental Tourists.