Key facts
- The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) chief executive Grainne Hurst has written to tech giants urging them to combat illegal betting advertisements.
- Black market operators are reportedly using social media, search engines, and digital ad platforms to target consumers, including vulnerable individuals and those who have self-excluded.
- Global wagers for the upcoming FIFA Men's World Cup are projected to exceed $50 billion, a substantial increase from the 2022 tournament.
- Research suggests that stakes with black market operators could nearly double from £17 billion to £33 billion by 2028.
- Analysis indicates that illegal operators account for nearly half of all gambling advertising spend in Britain.
- The BGC is calling for tech platforms to proactively remove illegal ads, enhance detection tools, and improve intelligence sharing.
The head of Britain's gambling trade body has issued a stark warning to major technology companies regarding the proliferation of illegal betting advertisements. Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), stated in an open letter that black market operators are exploiting platforms like social media, search engines, and digital advertising networks to reach consumers in the UK, including vulnerable individuals and those who have self-excluded from gambling.
The timing of the warning coincides with the kickoff of the FIFA Men's World Cup, an event anticipated to generate unprecedented gambling activity. Forecasts suggest over $50 billion will be wagered globally during the tournament, with predictions of around $500 million in bets per match. This represents a significant increase from the $35 billion wagered during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Hurst argued that technology companies possess the data, expertise, and artificial intelligence tools necessary to identify and remove harmful illegal content at scale. She questioned whether sufficient action is being taken, emphasizing that the capability to address the problem exists.
Concerns over the black market are escalating, with research from H2 Gambling Capital indicating that stakes with illegal operators could nearly double from £17 billion to £33 billion by 2028. Further analysis by WARC suggests that illegal operators already account for almost half of all gambling advertising spend in Britain and could surpass the regulated sector within two years.
The BGC highlighted that licensed firms offer consumer protections such as age verification, safer gambling interventions, and self-exclusion schemes, which are absent on black market sites. The letter urges tech platforms to proactively remove illegal gambling advertising, enhance detection tools, share intelligence, and increase transparency around enforcement efforts. It also calls for closer collaboration between platforms, regulators, law enforcement, and the gambling industry.
This warning follows the BGC's recent publication of a five-point plan advocating for stricter measures against illegal gambling advertising, including enhanced website blocking powers and criminal sanctions. It also comes in the wake of the Treasury's decision to increase gambling taxes in the Autumn Budget, a move the industry warned could drive more customers toward unlicensed operators.