UKGC finds illegal gambling users seven times more at risk

A study published by the UK Gambling Commission, drawing on 157.2 million banking transactions from approximately 38,000 individuals, found that 45% of illegal gambling users scored eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index — the threshold for problem gambling behavior. Among users of licensed operators, that figure was 6%.

The research, compiled from financial tracking data provided by YouGov covering July 2018 through July 2026, identified 3,426 suspected illegal gambling transactions across 179 individuals. Investigators had to rely on merchant categories and transaction codes rather than operator names, because unlicensed platforms rarely appear under their actual names in banking records.

The findings complicate a simple harm narrative. Of 122 individuals with at least two detected illegal gambling transactions, 91% also held accounts with licensed operators. Average monthly licensed transactions held nearly steady at 24.8 in the month before a first illegal payment and 23.7 in the month after — suggesting illegal platforms supplemented rather than replaced regulated ones.