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The Betting and Gaming Council has raised alarm over Boxing Day wagering, saying as much as £100 million may have bypassed licensed operators and ended up in the hands of the black market.
Data from H2 Gambling Capital shows that unregulated platforms already process billions of pounds in illegal stakes each year, and Boxing Day alone accounts for roughly one percent of annual betting activity.
By using that share as a base, the council estimated the scale of money lost to unlicensed sites during the holiday.
More could come following tax reform
The BGC has warned that the government’s latest tax plans could hand more ground to unlicensed operators. The council argued that higher duties on gambling will make regulated play less attractive, driving customers toward the black market and putting jobs at risk across the industry.
Concerns have also been raised by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The government’s own forecaster expects the tax changes to cut projected revenues by nearly a third within the next five years.
That shift in consumer behavior could leave a £500 million hole in tax receipts as early as next year, with much of the money flowing to illegal platforms instead of the regulated sector.
Regulated operators are bound by strict rules on player protection, affordability checks, and anti‑money laundering, while also contributing billions to the economy and supporting British sport and racing. Meanwhile, illegal platforms operate outside the law, offering no player safeguards and paying nothing back in taxes.
“The black market is in for a huge payday, with up to £100million in illegal stakes. If higher taxes make regulated betting less attractive, the black market will be the winner,” stated Betting and Gaming Council chief exec Grainne Hurst. “That is bad for consumers, jobs and public finances.”
The council urged policymakers to work more closely with licensed operators to ensure that new consumer protection measures do not backfire.
