One in five betting site visits now go to black market
Illegal site visits overall jumped 14-fold, according to the IFHA.
The hit
Traffic to illegal sites taking bets on British horse racing has surged nearly seven-fold since late 2021, according to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The British Horseracing Authority says the report shows punters are leaking into the unregulated market.
Why it matters
Every bettor who moves to an unlicensed site faces greater risks & fewer consumer protections, according to the BHA. These operators pay nothing into British racing or the public purse & chief executive Brant Dunshea says gambling regulation must stay ‘balanced and proportionate’ as the leakage grows.
The record
| Illegal racing site traffic intensity | 6.8 visits per 100 legal visits in 2026, up from 0.97 in late 2021 (IFHA) |
|---|---|
| Overall illegal site visits | up from 1.8m to over 25m between 2022 & 2025 (IFHA) |
| Licensed site visits | down 34% over the same period (IFHA) |
| Share of visits now illegal | 1 in 5, versus 1 per 100 legal visits in late 2021 (IFHA) |
| Illegal Gambling Taskforce | created January 2026, ‘limited progress’ since, according to the BHA |
What happens next
The findings will be shared with government, with a push to work with new Gambling Minister Vicky Foxcroft on faster action.
Sources: BHA calls for UK to address “worrying” black market growth
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