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BGC forecasts £500 million in illegal bets during British jump racing season
The trade body expects £10 million in illegal stakes at the Cheltenham November Meeting, but has not explained how it calculated either figure.
Illegal bookmakers could take £500 million in bets during Britain’s 2026-27 National Hunt season, the Betting and Gaming Council warned ahead of this weekend’s Cheltenham November Meeting.
The trade body forecasts £10 million in illegal stakes at the three-day Cheltenham event. It has not explained how it calculated the estimates, iGaming Business reported.
The season runs from October through April and includes the King George VI Chase at Kempton, the Cheltenham Festival in March and the Grand National at Aintree in April, according to G3 Newswire.
The BGC said illegal sites do not provide the protections required of licensed bookmakers, including age verification, anti-money laundering controls and safer gambling measures. It also said illegal operators pay no UK tax and do not contribute to British racing.
BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said the group would continue working with the government and the Gambling Commission to combat illegal gambling. The warning comes ahead of Safer Gambling Week, which runs from 16 to 22 November.
Separate IFHA research found that unlicensed sites drew 19.4 visits for every 100 visits to licensed sites in the first seven months of 2026, compared with about 1 per 100 in late 2021. Across 32 sites taking bets on British racing, the rate rose almost seven-fold, iGaming Business reported.
The Gambling Commission has issued more than 3,100 cease-and-desist or disruption notices since April 2024, but the IFHA found no sustained fall in illegal traffic. British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Brant Dunshea said racing customers using illegal operators face “greater risks and fewer consumer protections”.
The BGC also cited WARC analysis that found unregulated operators account for almost half of UK gambling advertising spending. H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that illegal stakes could rise from £17 billion in 2026 to more than £33 billion by 2028.
Online betting duty rises to 25% in April 2027. Remote bets on UK horse racing will be excluded and remain at 15%.