IFHA Report: Illegal Betting Traffic in Britain Up 19-Fold Since 2021

^{The Rowley Mile at Newmarket. A study from racing’s international body says traffic to illegal betting sites in Britain has risen sharply since 2021. (Photo: Alarnsen / Wikimedia Commons)}

Around one in every five visits by UK bettors is now to an illegal betting website, according to a study from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). The report, published on 6 November, says traffic to unlicensed sites has risen roughly 19-fold since late 2021.

The study was produced by the IFHA’s Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime. It analysed website traffic across 301 popular betting sites used in Britain, made up of 74 licensed operators and 227 illegal or unlicensed sites.

What the Study Found

Over the first seven months of 2026 there were 19.4 visits to illegal sites for every 100 visits to licensed operators. Customers are also staying longer. Average visit duration on illegal sites rose 32% between October 2024 and July 2026, from 5 minutes 38 seconds to 7 minutes 25 seconds.

Pages viewed per visit increased 34%, from 5.19 to 6.98. The council also followed up on 32 illegal sites that take bets on British racing, which it had featured in a 2025 study. Between January and July they drew 6.8 visits per 100 licensed visits, against 0.97 in late 2021.

Monthly unique visits to illegal and unlicensed betting websites rose from 1.8 million in 2022 to more than 25 million in 2025, the report said. The council also noted that online racing turnover has fallen by more than £2bn since its 2021/22 peak, while online casino products have been more resilient.

Enforcement and the Racing View

The findings come despite increased enforcement. Since April 2024 the Gambling Commission has issued more than 3,100 cease and desist or disruption notices and removed almost 288,000 URLs. The IFHA said success should be measured by sustained falls in illegal traffic, not by the number of notices issued or URLs removed.

Brant Dunshea, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said racing had warned throughout the Gambling Act Review that policy changes could push customers to the illegal market. “This research provides worrying evidence that those concerns are now being realised,” he said in the BHA’s statement.

“Every racing customer who moves from a licensed operator to an illegal one faces greater risks and fewer consumer protections.”

Dunshea welcomed the Commission’s recent increase in enforcement but said it is more than nine months since the DCMS Illegal Gambling Taskforce was announced, with limited progress so far. He said racing looks forward to working with the new Gambling Minister, Vicky Foxcroft.

Government Action So Far

HM Treasury awarded the Commission £26m at the 2025 Budget, and the government created the taskforce in January 2026. A summer consultation also proposed banning sponsorship and advertising from unlicensed operators, an approach the BHA supports.

The study adds to a run of industry warnings, including the Betting and Gaming Council’s forecast that illegal gambling stakes could reach £3.3bn.

Racing has also been vocal about tax, having warned that proposed online betting tax hikes threaten UK horse racing.