Illegal bookmakers are expected to take up to £800 million ($1 billion) in bets on Premier League matches this season, the Betting and Gaming Council has warned. Around £20 million ($27 million) of that is forecast to be staked on the opening weekend alone.
The BGC, the trade body for licensed UK operators, expects the figure to reach £1 billion ($1.36 billion) a season next season. The rise in General Betting Duty in April is behind the increase. A typical Premier League betting weekend already generates £15 million to £20 million in turnover for unlicensed operators, and millions of pounds are expected on the black market for each opening-round fixture.
Advertising goes, demand does not
Betting brands came off Premier League club shirts this season. The BGC backs that and welcomes plans to bar sponsorship by operators without a UK licence, and wants the ban extended to every sport in the country. Its head, Grainne Hurst, flagged the risk: the visible advertising goes, the demand does not, and it moves to an illegal channel that is already growing.
Black market nearly doubles
H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that unlicensed operator turnover in Britain will almost double, from £17 billion in 2026 to £33 billion by 2028. WARC data shows unregulated operators already control close to half of UK gambling advertising spend. The black market pays no tax and offers no player protection. The licensed sector supports 109,000 jobs and contributes £6.8 billion to the economy and £4 billion in taxes a year. The BGC wants authorities to make the criminal groups behind illegal sites the priority.
