Gambling Commission publishes new survey data on illegal gambling engagement

The Gambling Commission said on 5 November 2026 that it has published new findings on the extent of consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites, as part of its work to build better evidence and disrupt illegal markets.

The Commission said the estimates form part of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) and have been published alongside an updated Illegal Gambling Data Dashboard, which it said would track trends in engagement and the impact of its work to protect consumers through disruption.

According to the Commission, the survey uses an innovative set of questions designed to establish whether a consumer is likely to be engaging with an illegal website, whether or not they realise it. The regulator said this would deepen understanding of consumers who engage with illegal gambling and help identify patterns and emerging risks.

The Commission said initial GSGB estimates show that engagement with illegal gambling websites among the whole population, including people who do not gamble, is low, with 94.4% of respondents showing no indication of using an illegal gambling website. It said 0.6% of respondents had engaged with illegal gambling websites in the past four weeks, and a further 0.4% in the past 12 months but not in the past four weeks.

Among those who had gambled online in the past 12 months, the Commission said 2.5% had engaged with illegal gambling websites in the past four weeks, and a further 1.5% had done so in the past 12 months but not in the past four weeks. The Commission said 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 four weeks.

The Commission said the findings complement recent research into consumer motivations for using illegal gambling websites and analysis of financial transaction data, and highlight that motivations for using illegal operators are varied and cannot be explained by any single factor.

Sue Young, Executive Director for Operations at the Gambling Commission, said: “We want to kick crime out of gambling.”

The Commission said researching illegal gambling supports its strategic commitment to be an evidence-led and outcomes-focused regulator, ensuring that regulatory, policy and enforcement activity is informed by the best available data and insight. The research was published alongside the Commission’s CEO Briefing event, where industry leaders discussed progress, emerging priorities and the latest evidence on illegal gambling.