BHA Urges Regulatory Realignment as Unlicensed UK Betting Visits Surge Past 25 Million
A comprehensive study published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime reveals an alarming surge in UK consumer traffic toward illegal and unlicensed betting platforms. Responding to the findings, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) warned that overly restrictive regulatory interventions under the Gambling Act Review are actively fueling a black market shift.
The IFHA study evaluated a sample of over 300 betting platforms (74 licensed and 227 unlicensed) targeting UK bettors. Research indicates that monthly unique visits to illegal betting sites exploded from 1.8 million in 2022 to more than 25 million in 2025. Furthermore, 1 in every 5 visits by UK bettors (19.4 per 100 legal visits) now targets illegal operators, alongside a seven-fold surge in unlicensed horseracing betting traffic over the past four years.
Player engagement on these platforms is deepening concurrently. Between October 2024 and July 2026, average visit durations on illegal platforms jumped 32% (from 5m 38s to 7m 25s), while average page views per session expanded by 34% (from 5.19 to 6.98 pages).
This black market expansion comes despite aggressive enforcement by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which issued over 3,100 cease-and-desist or disruption notices and pulled down nearly 288,000 illegal URLs since April 2024. BHA Chief Executive Brant Dunshea called on the government and UKGC to adopt proportionate, balanced rules, cautioning that legal player leakage deprives British racing of critical funding, eliminates statutory tax contributions, and exposes consumers to severe risks.
