The global illegal online gambling market generated around $50 billion in gross revenue in 2025, with operators increasingly using cryptocurrency, digital marketing and mirror websites to evade enforcement, according to research by Fincord Intelligence highlighted by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
Fincord estimated that about 5,000 illegal operator structures ran more than 15,000 websites and apps last year, using mirror domains, virtual private networks (VPNs) and browser-based applications to restore access to blocked services.
The report said some illegal operators were deliberately targeting people who had self-excluded from gambling, including UK consumers registered with GAMSTOP, the country’s online gambling self-exclusion scheme.
So-called “Non-GamStop” casinos promoted their services to self-excluded customers through search engines, social media, affiliates, influencers and messaging platforms including Telegram and WhatsApp.
Illegal operators can also attract customers by imposing fewer restrictions than licensed businesses, the report said, including offering deposit bonuses of between 300% and 500%, higher advertised returns and faster payouts.
Cryptocurrency has become a significant part of the illegal market, accounting for around 35% of payments across illegal gambling sites, according to Fincord. The proportion could exceed 70% by 2030, it estimated.
“Illegal gambling is no longer a collection of isolated websites,” a Fincord Intelligence spokesperson said. “It operates through sophisticated international networks of companies, payment providers, cryptocurrency services, technology platforms and affiliates.”
The report also raised concerns about links between some illegal gambling businesses and Russia. Fincord said certain operators may contribute directly or indirectly to Russian economic interests, while its assessment of the Ukraine case pointed to potential wider financial crime and national security risks.
“In Britain, these networks target customers – including people who have self-excluded – through social media, messaging platforms and mirror sites,” the spokesperson said.
“The Ukraine case demonstrates how the same type of interconnected infrastructure can also create wider financial crime and national security risks.”
Fincord said governments should focus on disrupting the infrastructure that supports illegal gambling rather than relying primarily on blocking individual websites.
This could include action against payment services, cryptocurrency intermediaries, affiliates, advertisers, software suppliers and hosting infrastructure, the report said.
“Governments must target the infrastructure that allows these illegal ecosystems to survive, rather than relying solely on blocking individual websites,” the Fincord spokesperson said.
BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said the findings demonstrated the risks posed by illegal operators to UK consumers, particularly people who had self-excluded.
“This report shows illegal gambling is no longer simply a regulatory issue,” Hurst said. “Illegal operators are deliberately targeting vulnerable customers in the UK, including people who have self-excluded, using social media, affiliates and messaging platforms to avoid the protections of the regulated market.”
“The Government must step up its efforts to coordinate law enforcement, regulators, payment providers and technology companies to target the networks supporting these operators – not just individual websites,” she added.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/09/08/126291-bgc-highlights-risks-of-50b-global-illegal-gambling-market-targeting-uk-consumers
