The Betting and Gaming Council said it expects £500m to be wagered with illegal gambling operators across Britain’s National Hunt season.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has issued a warning about illegal gambling activity around Britain’s jump racing calendar, saying an estimated £500m is forecast to be wagered with illegal operators during the National Hunt season.
In a statement dated 13 November 2026, the BGC said the warning comes ahead of the Cheltenham November Meeting this weekend, where it expects £10m to be staked with illegal gambling operators across the three-day festival.
The BGC said the National Hunt season runs from October through to April and includes fixtures such as the King George VI Chase at Kempton, the Cheltenham Festival in March and the Grand National at Aintree in April.
The statement also referenced Safer Gambling Week, which runs from 16 to 22 November, saying the regulated betting and gaming industry will highlight the tools, support and protections available to customers.
The BGC said licensed operators must comply with regulatory standards including age-verification checks, anti-money laundering requirements and safer gambling measures, while illegal gambling websites operate outside UK regulation and offer none of these protections. It added that illegal operators pay no UK tax and make no contribution to British horseracing.
The BGC cited independent analysis by WARC which it said found unregulated operators account for almost half of all UK gambling advertising spend. It also cited forecasts from H2 Gambling Capital which it said estimate the amount staked with illegal operators could grow from £17bn in 2026 to more than £33bn by 2028.
What it means for players
According to the BGC, betting with illegal operators means customers do not receive protections linked to UK regulation, including age verification and safer gambling measures.
Source: Betting and Gaming Council, 13 November 2026.