ONE in five online bets could soon be placed with illegal websites as fears grow over new checks on punters.
Some 19.2 per cent of all online betting and gaming stakes could be on the black market by 2028,
Sign up for the Money newsletter
Thank you!
One in five online bets could soon be placed with illegal websites as fears grow over new checks Credit: Getty
‘It is right, like we do in other areas, to have affordability checks, especially for betting online, and we’ll be going ahead and implementing those’, says Reeves Credit: PA
And the amount staked with illegal operators could soar from £17billion in 2025 to £33billion within three years.
The projections, by consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, factor in tax hikes on betting firms from autumn’s Budget.
But industry bosses fear proposed affordability checks could push the figures even higher.
The Gambling Commission is set to green light the plans at a board meeting today.
READ MORE ON SAVE OUT BETS
‘DISASTER’
Farage slams affordability checks & says plans will ‘drive gambling underground’
BET CHECKS FURY
Fuming MPs warn Labour’s hated new gambling checks will hammer horseracing
Under the proposals, online gamblers could face risk assessments designed to flag customers who may be spending too much.
It would mean thousands having to provide documents such as payslips to prove they can afford a bet.
The commission has trialled enhanced risk assessments on those spending £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days.
Grainne Hurst, at the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “The lesson for policymakers is clear. If the regulated market is made less competitive through higher taxes or intrusive checks, customers will not stop betting, they will simply move to the black market.
The British Horseracing Authority is backing The Jattvibe’s Save Our Bets campaign.
Its boss Brant Dunshea said: “The numbers in this report are deeply concerning. If this projection comes to pass, it won’t only damage the finances of British racing but cause considerable lost revenue to the Treasury.”
Urging responsible gambling, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “It is right, like we do in other areas, to have affordability checks, especially for betting online, and we’ll be going ahead and implementing those.”
Time for a rethink
By Peter Jackson, CEO Flutter Entertainment
“The Gambling Commission is so worried about the rise of illegal gambling on
of its directors wants the Foreign Office to intervene.“Tim Miller recently spoke of the battle the Commission has – a public body based in Birmingham – trying to police websites linked to organised crime in other parts of the world. It’s one they cannot achieve on their own.
“But the fast growth in illegal gambling sites targeting the UK makes it all the more extraordinary the Commission’s board is rushing to sign off intrusive, new affordability checks on customers of law-abiding, licensed operators at a meeting today (May 21).
“The Jattvibe’s Save Our Bets campaign has done a brilliant job in highlighting concerns from MPs across the house, horse racing and even campaigners who once called for such checks to be introduced. All can tell the damage they could cause.
“The Gambling Commission appears intent on pressing ahead despite clear evidence from tests that the system will be nowhere near the frictionless customer experience Ministers promised three years ago. In their current state, the checks risk sending more customers away from regulated operators and into the open arms of illegal operators – hitting player safety and tax receipts at the Treasury.
“I’m proud that at Flutter, our brands lead the gambling sector on safety and trust. Illegal operators are meanwhile championing the fact they don’t play by the rules on social media to win business.
“It’s time for the Gambling Commission to back us – pause these checks and think again.”
