New data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain is being used to track engagement with illegal gambling websites and inform disruption work.
The Gambling Commission said it has published fresh estimates on the extent of consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites, alongside an updated Illegal Gambling Data Dashboard. The Commission said the publication forms part of its work to build evidence and disrupt illegal markets.
The Commission said the new findings come from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) and use “an innovative set of questions” intended to identify whether a consumer is likely to be engaging with an illegal website, including where the consumer may not realise it. It said the data will help it understand patterns and emerging risks and will allow the dashboard to track trends and the impact of disruption activity.
In the initial GSGB survey estimates, the Commission said “most respondents” showed no indication of using an illegal gambling website, with a figure of “94.4%” across the whole population, including those who do not gamble. It said “0.6%” of respondents had engaged with illegal gambling websites within the past 4 weeks, with a further “0.4%” within the past 12 months but not in the past 4 weeks.
Among those who gambled online in the past 12 months, the Commission said “2.5%” had engaged with illegal gambling websites within the past 4 weeks, and a further “1.5%” in the past 12 months but not the past 4 weeks. It added that engagement was higher among males than females and tended to be more prevalent among younger adults in the past 12 months, particularly those aged 18 to 24, while engagement among 25 to 34-year-olds was more evident within the past 4 weeks.
Sue Young, Executive Director for Operations at the Commission, said illegal gambling poses risks to consumers and that engagement “appears low and stable” from these indicators, while research suggests consumers who use illegal operators are more likely to experience harm. The Commission said it will continue working across government, industry, technology and financial services to disrupt crime and protect consumers.
What it means for players
Players who use illegal gambling websites may face higher risks, the Gambling Commission said. The Commission said it will use the new survey estimates and dashboard tracking to inform consumer protection and disruption activity.
Source: UK Gambling Commission, 05 November 2026.
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