Gambling Commission launches Illegal Gambling Index after first survey data

The Gambling Commission has launched a new Illegal Gambling Index that combines seven behavioural indicators to measure consumer interaction with unauthorised gambling sites; the first wave of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain shows that 1% of respondents exhibited some engagement with illegal sites in the previous 12 months. Among those who gambled online in that period, the share rises to 4%, and about 2.5% of online players reported using an illegal site in the four weeks before the survey.

Design and purpose of the Index

The Illegal Gambling Index identifies potentially illegal activity through seven behaviours that the Gambling Commission associates with a higher likelihood of using unauthorised operators. Those behaviours include betting on sites not registered with Gamstop, opening accounts without age or identity checks, cancelling withdrawals before funds reach a bank account or digital wallet, and using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access gambling services not available in Great Britain.

The tool was developed by the Gambling Commission through a multi‑phase research programme that included consumer surveys, interviews, focus groups, expert input and advice from specialist Commission panels. The intention is for the Index to complement the data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain to track trends in the illegal market and inform regulatory and consumer protection work.

"Understanding the consumer characteristics of illegal online gambling has been no easy task... Simply asking consumers whether they have used an illegal gambling website will not provide a reliable picture," wrote Rupam Jagota, Research and Impact Manager at the Gambling Commission.

Jagota explained on the Commission blog that direct measurement fails because it depends on consumers correctly identifying an illegal site and being willing to report their behaviour. The Index was designed to address those limitations and to be adaptable as the market evolves.

Gambling Survey for Great Britain data

The first series of data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain covered four quarterly waves between April 2025 and April 2026. The study included 14,257 respondents, of whom 3,569 had gambled online in the previous year.

The main figures published by the Commission are:

• 1% of respondents showed engagement with an illegal gambling site in the previous 12 months.

• 4% among those who gambled online in the same period.

• 2.5% of adults who gambled online in the prior year used an illegal site in the four weeks before the survey.

• 1.5% reported use at some point in the 12 months but not in the four weeks prior.

• Among the total adult population, including non‑players, the comparable percentages were 0.6% and 0.4%.

According to the Gambling Commission, 94.4% of respondents showed no indicators of use of illegal sites, and 4.6% presented some associated signs without sufficient evidence to classify them as users.

Among the 128 respondents ultimately classified as users of illegal sites, 58% said they had knowingly used a site that was not registered with Gamstop, 56.6% reported cancelling a withdrawal before funds reached a bank account or digital wallet, and almost 47% said they registered on a site knowing it would not require age or identity checks. The Commission reminds that licensed operators in Great Britain have been prohibited from allowing withdrawal reversals since 2021.

Sample size, limitations and regulator response

The Commission acknowledges that the final sample size of illegal users is small — 128 people — and that this limits the robustness of some estimates. Sue Young, executive director for operations at the Gambling Commission, said the findings will help to understand a segment of consumers with 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," said Sue Young.

The Commission noted that the Index and the survey allow isolation of a target subgroup for future research and targeted action.

Research and collaboration plans for 2027

The Gambling Commission plans to add new questions to the survey in 2027 to better understand four user profiles identified in prior research: Self-Excluders, Skilled Advocates, Social Explorers and Accidental Tourists. The aim is to distinguish behaviours and motivations within the universe of potential users of unauthorised sites.

The Commission also indicated it will continue to collaborate with the UK government, gambling operators, technology providers and financial institutions to disrupt illegal activity and address the payment and advertising systems that support it. The UK government has already created an illegal gambling taskforce focused on unauthorised online operators and the payment and advertising infrastructures that support them.

Frequently asked questions and next steps

The Gambling Commission will use the Illegal Gambling Index as an adaptable measure; the tool can be updated as more evidence on the illegal market is obtained. The Commission will combine these findings with regulatory efforts and multi‑sector collaboration to reduce availability and the potential harm associated with unauthorised operators.

The additional research and survey changes scheduled for 2027 should provide greater precision on user profiles and on the true prevalence of illegal use within specific sub‑samples of online players. For tracking the regulatory framework and changes to the survey, consult coverage of regulation and the Gambling Commission’s reports on its official channels.