BHA Acknowledges Regulatory Efforts, But Warns That Illegal Gambling Is Still on the Rise

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) just cited the results of a new report detailing the growing foothold of illegal gambling in the United Kingdom. While the BHA acknowledged that there have been efforts to reduce offshore gambling, it added that rates remain far above the pre-white paper levels. The study was published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime. It examined 300 popular betting websites in the UK and determined that roughly 1 in every 5 visits to a betting operator is a visit to an offshore operator. Of the 300 sites examined, 74 were legal and 227 illegal. Illegal Gambling Is on the Rise Over the first seven months of 2026 alone, there were roughly 19.4 visits to illegal sites for every 100 visits to legal ones. A follow-up analysis of 32 unlicensed websites determined that the traffic of UK players has been on the rise, with 6.8 visits for every 100 visits to licensed sites. This figure is roughly seven times the 0.97 rate recorded in late 2021. According to the IFHA’s findings, monthly unique visits to unlicensed sites skyrocketed from 1.8 million in 2022 to 25+ million in 2025. This statistic reflects a rapid and disconcerting growth in illegal gambling. Playing with illegal operators also seemed to be associated with longer play sessions, the study found. The BHA acknowledged the increased efforts to limit the illegal gaming sector’s reach, which have included the creation of a new task force, but said that there is still much more to be done. For reference, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued over 3,100 cease-and-desist or disruption notices since 2024. In that period, the commission also removed a staggering 288,000 URLs. Those efforts, however, have not been able to inhibit the growth of the offshore sector, with visits to illegal sites remaining high. The suboptimal channelization has been exacerbated by the new regulatory and tax measures that have limited the legal industry’s ability to compete, the BHA argued. It added that this has led to a reduction in live event betting and a significant reduction in online racing turnover. Success in Fighting Illegal Gaming Must Be Measured by Sustained Reduction Citing the IFHA study, the BHA called for coordinated action against the black market, encouraging the government to work together with industry stakeholders, tech companies, and payment providers to stop this threat. The IFHA emphasized that success in this area must be measured by sustained reduction in illegal traffic rather than the number of cease-and-desist orders and URL removals. Brant Dunshea, CEO of the BHA, commented on the matter, saying that the BHA has long been warning the government that even well-intentioned policy changes could have an adverse impact on the horseracing and betting sectors. He said that the IFHA research shows that these concerns are now being realized. Dunshea recognized the UKGC’s efforts, but said that the fight is not over yet. We recognize the Commission’s recent increase in enforcement activity, but we will be sharing these findings with Government and urging it to work with us to keep bettors within the regulated market as this leakage continues to grow. Brant Dunshea, CEO, BHA Dunshea urged the DCMS’s task force to intensify its efforts and said that he is looking forward to working with the UK’s new gambling minister, Vicky Foxcroft, on “injecting some urgency” into the war on illegal gambling.