The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has raised concerns about the growing presence of illegal gambling platforms among UK betting audiences. New research from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) indicates that almost one in six visits to sampled betting websites featuring horseracing went to an illegal operator during the first seven months of 2026.
The figure represents approximately 16% of the measured traffic, down from a peak of one in five visits in 2025. However, the longer-term trend remains concerning. The IFHA found that monthly visits to illegal betting sites increased from 1.8 million in 2022 to 25.1 million in 2025. Over the same period, visits to legal platforms fell from 143.8 million to 94.6 million.
The 2026 figures show around 11 million visits to illegal websites compared with 56.9 million to legal platforms between January and July. Although this suggests some improvement, annualised estimates still put illegal-site traffic at around ten times its 2022 level.
The report also highlights changes in user engagement. Visitors to illegal platforms are spending more time on these websites and viewing more pages per visit. Average visit duration increased from five minutes and 38 seconds in the final quarter of 2024 to seven minutes and 25 seconds during the first seven months of 2026.
The findings support longstanding concerns that regulatory changes could push customers towards unlicensed operators. We plan to share the research with the government and encourage further action to keep bettors within the regulated market.
Brant Dunshea, Chief Executive at BHA
The IFHA report also questions the effectiveness of enforcement measures introduced since 2024. More than 3,100 cease-and-desist or disruption notices have been issued by the Gambling Commission, while nearly 288,000 URLs have been taken down. Nevertheless, illegal-site traffic continued to rise between 2024 and 2025.
The UK government’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce, established in 2026, also faces criticism in the report. The BHA has called for more urgent progress, arguing that regulation must protect consumers without driving them towards unlicensed services.
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