Illegal Gambling: Trends Update and Data-Led Approach

Last month, the organization hosted a dedicated session on illegal gambling during its Spring Evidence Conference in Birmingham. The event brought together industry representatives, the Dutch gambling regulator, and HMRC. The session offered a platform to exchange perspectives on the nature of illegal gambling and effective ways to address it, while also presenting an update on the trend data originally published in November 2025.

The latest publication detailed the methodology used to estimate consumer access to illegal gambling websites. This approach relies on web traffic estimates, which inherently carry margins of error. As such, they are considered more useful for identifying trends rather than measuring absolute traffic volumes. The organization also acknowledged that some forms of access to illegal gambling—such as alternative or indirect channels—are not captured in this dataset. It cautioned against relying on a single data source for such a complex and multidimensional issue and confirmed ongoing efforts to incorporate additional data points for a more comprehensive analysis. Despite its limitations, web traffic remains a valuable indicator of trends.

Consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites

Measured by total estimated time spent on such platforms. While the previous report covered data up to July 2025, the updated trend line now extends to February 2026. The data continues to show fluctuations, without a clear seasonal pattern. For example, the growth observed in autumn 2024 was not replicated during the same period in 2025. Overall, the trend does not indicate consistent or sustained growth in consumer engagement over the 21-month period analyzed.

One of the most significant external factors during this timeframe has been the implementation of the Online Safety Act, which led to a surge in the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as consumers sought to bypass online restrictions. The initial model had already incorporated a 30% uplift to account for traffic concealed by VPN usage. However, beyond July 2025, it is likely that a larger proportion of traffic remained hidden.

To further assess this, the organization analyzed VPN usage data from Ofcom and Similarweb. Ofcom data showed a sharp increase in VPN usage in July 2025, followed by a gradual decline, stabilizing at approximately 40% above previous levels. Similarweb data reflected a comparable trend, although with a less pronounced initial spike. Figure 2 presents an updated trend line incorporating revised VPN assumptions based on these scenarios. The data for July carries a wider confidence interval, which narrows and stabilizes in subsequent months.

The organization continues to refine its methodology and is actively seeking input from international regulators and licensed operators to validate and enhance existing data sources, as well as identify new datasets. Additional insights are being gathered through the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) and the Consumer Voice research program.

Further updates on research, statistics, and data initiatives will be published throughout the year. Illegal gambling remains a top priority, and the Commission will also provide updates on its enforcement and disruption activities, as well as how it measures the impact of these efforts.