UK Regulator Examines Illegal Online Lotteries

TikTok Emerges as a Key Channel

The research, conducted by Yonder Consulting, focuses particularly on TikTok, while also examining activity on Facebook and Instagram. The Gambling Commission said its intelligence teams recorded an increase in reports of suspected illegal lotteries and raffles on TikTok during 2025 compared with the previous year.

The study sought to understand why consumers participate in these draws, how they discover them and how individual hosts organise and promote the activities.

Mapping the Consumer Journey

The research combined digital intelligence, quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to build a broader picture of how illegal lotteries operate online.

The digital intelligence stage examined public conversations and interactions on TikTok over a 12-month period. Researchers were able to track how users encounter raffles through LIVE streams, recommendations and reposts, as well as how participation can move beyond social media to payment platforms and other third-party services.

The research also identified signals used by hosts and participants to create an impression of trustworthiness and legitimacy.

Consumers Focus More on Winning Than Legality

One of the main findings was that consumers were generally more concerned about whether a raffle appeared genuine and offered a realistic chance of winning than whether it was legally authorised.

Low ticket prices, informal presentations and familiar payment methods could make the activities appear less risky. These factors may also reduce the likelihood that consumers recognise or report potential illegal activity.

The Commission also found that some smaller-scale hosts may not fully understand the rules governing lotteries and raffles, while others appeared to deliberately use certain language and payment practices to disguise the nature of their activities.

Risks Increase Beyond Social Media

The research highlighted that consumer risks do not necessarily end with the original social media post.

Participants may be directed to third-party websites, payment platforms or private messaging channels, where information about terms and conditions, consumer protections and the legitimacy of the activity can become less transparent.

According to the Gambling Commission, this makes it important for regulators and other stakeholders to consider the entire consumer journey rather than focusing exclusively on the social media platforms where promotions initially appear.

Call for Greater Monitoring and Enforcement

The findings reinforce the need for proactive monitoring, intelligence sharing and platform-level intervention, rather than relying solely on consumers to report suspicious lotteries and raffles.

The Commission also highlighted the importance of providing clearer guidance to individuals and small businesses about which activities are permitted.

Where illegal activity is deliberate or persistent, the regulator said visible enforcement may also be necessary.

Younger Consumers Identified as a Priority

The research found that people aged 18 to 24 were more likely than older groups to have encountered or participated in these activities on TikTok.

However, researchers faced difficulties recruiting younger participants for the qualitative interview stage. As a result, the study does not provide a complete picture of how this group moves from discovering an illegal raffle to participating in it.

The Commission said future research should examine whether these activities form part of broader gambling and digital entertainment behaviours and whether they could act as a potential gateway to other forms of gambling.

252 Illegal Lotteries Removed from Social Media

The Gambling Commission said its enforcement work has resulted in 252 illegal lotteries being removed from social media platforms over the past 12 months.

The regulator also said it will continue contacting promoters of illegal lotteries and, where necessary, work with third parties such as website providers, social media companies and payment providers to remove illegal activity.

Expanding Research into the Illegal Gambling Market

The new study forms part of the Gambling Commission's broader work to understand consumer engagement with the illegal gambling market and supports its research priorities on illegal gambling and crime.

Further research is planned through the Commission's Consumer Voice programme and the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, including new questions examining consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites.

The regulator said the latest research provides insight into a relatively new area of the illegal gambling market and will help strengthen its evidence base, identify emerging risks and target regulatory interventions as online activity continues to evolve.