Illegal gambling operators are expected to take up to £800 million ($1 billion) in bets on the Premier League during the new season, with around £20 million ($27 million) forecast to be staked on the opening weekend alone, according to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
The figure is expected to rise by a further £200 million ($272 million) next season, taking illegal betting on the Premier League to around £1 billion ($1.36 billion) a year following an increase in Britain’s General Betting Duty in April.
The Premier League is among the world’s biggest sporting betting events, with analysis indicating that between £15 million and £20 million is typically wagered with unlicensed operators over a weekend.
The first round of fixtures is expected to generate betting at the upper end of that range, with millions of pounds potentially staked with illegal operators on each match.
The regulated gambling industry has removed betting sponsors from the front of Premier League shirts from the new season, a measure the BGC noted it supports. The group has also welcomed plans to prevent Premier League clubs from accepting sponsorship from gambling operators without a UK licence and called for those restrictions to be extended to all sports in Britain.
However, the trade association warned that as visible, regulated advertising reduces, demand does not disappear, instead shifting into less regulated channels, where illegal operators are already growing rapidly.
“Millions of football fans will enjoy a bet safely with regulated operators this season, backing their team week in, week out,” Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said. “But the criminal black market is looking to cash in too, taking millions of pounds on every round of matches while offering customers none of the protections found in the regulated sector.
Hurst highlighted that black market operators pay no taxes and answer to no one, noting that “every pound they take is a pound lost to British sport and to the Treasury.”
“Licensed operators are regulated in Britain and follow strict rules on consumer protection, safer gambling and robust financial safeguards. Illegal black market operators do not,” she added. “They undermine player protections, avoid taxes, ignore safer gambling standards and put consumers at serious risk.”
“With illegal betting on the Premier League on course to reach £1bn a season, we support action that protects fans, upholds standards and keeps customers safe within the regulated market.”
The group cautioned that the regulated sector faces growing pressure from higher taxes, with H2 Gambling Capital warning that a further increase in General Betting Duty would add to the strain on licensed operators.
Independent analysis by WARC found that unregulated operators now account for almost half of UK gambling advertising spending, while H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that the amount staked with illegal operators in Britain will almost double from nearly £17 billion this year to more than £33 billion by 2028.
The regulated betting and gaming sector supports more than 109,000 jobs, contributes £6.8 billion to the UK economy and generates more than £4 billion in tax each year, according to the BGC.
The council said tackling criminal gangs behind illegal gambling websites should remain a priority to keep customers within the regulated market, where consumer protections are in place.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/08/25/126063-bgc-warns-uk-illegal-premier-league-betting-forecast-to-reach-136-billion-a-season
