BGC warns UK illicit gambling could make €231m from World Cup
With the 2026 World Cup anticipated to be the biggest sporting event ever in a number of ways, including in terms of the betting volume linked to the event, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has made a statement warning of the money expected to be staked with unregulated gambling operators during the competition.
Black market capitalising on the World Cup
The BGC said that with the World Cup attracting billions of viewers and generating significant betting interest, “more than £1 billion (€1.157 billion) is expected to be staked with regulated betting operators in Britain during the competition alone”. It added that around £200 million (€231 million) is expected to be staked with unregulated operators.
With that said, it continued that “while the tournament showcases the very best of international football, criminal gambling operators are also expected to target customers, exploiting the event’s popularity with illegal betting products that offer none of the standards, safeguards, or consumer protections required in the regulated sector”.
It continued that “with around one third of all betting account holders expected to place a bet on the World Cup,” financial risk checks such as requiring customers to provide personal financial documents “risk making it harder for regulated operators to compete with illegal firms that openly flout the law”.
In the lead-up to this summer’s World Cup, which officially kicked off on 11 June as co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a match which was historic in several ways, including the fact that it has taken the record for the most red cards in a World Cup opening match, the BGC made other statements warning of the growth of the illegal gambling black market and how it is gearing to capitalise on the historic event as the regulated sector scales back.
Having said that, the BGC commented that modelling suggests that if certain financial risk assessments were to be implemented, then the amount staked with illegal operators during the World Cup could rise by up to £50 million (€57 million), taking the total up to around £250 million (€289 million).
BGC CEO warns of customers being pushed away from the regulated market
Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, commented that the black market will be “looking to cash in” during the World Cup, “targeting customers with illegal gambling that offers none of the protections available in the regulated sector”.
She remarked that policies which “make it harder for regulated operators to compete” are, in turn, “strengthening the hand of the black market”. She added that the priority must be to keep customers in the regulated market, where protections are in place, “rather than pushing them towards illegal operators”.
The BGC concluded its statement by emphasising that “tackling the criminal gangs behind illegal gambling websites must remain a priority to ensure customers stay within the regulated market,” as it said that illicit operators do not adhere to any consumer protection standards or anti-money laundering checks.
In its messaging opposing illegal operators, the BGC recently issued a five-point plan against UK illegal gambling, in which it listed what policymakers, regulatory authorities, and other market actors should prioritise to curb the growth of the black market.
The president of Flutter also recently made a statement warning of the growth of the illegal market during the World Cup, showing that this is an issue which the industry is acutely aware of, and is urging both platforms and regulatory authorities to act on.
Personalise your news with the voices shaping global iGaming. Pick SiGMA World as your source preference for exclusive interviews, prediction markets, regulatory shifts and smarter industry coverage worldwide.
