Illegal betting on Premier League matches could reach GBP 800m (ca. EUR 935m) during the new season. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) expects the Premier League black market to grow to around GBP 1bn (ca. EUR 1.17bn) next season. The forecast comes as betting taxes and rules for licensed operators are changing in Britain.

• Around GBP 20m (ca. EUR 23.4m) was expected to be staked with illegal operators during the opening Premier League weekend alone. The BGC estimates a typical weekend generates between GBP 15m (ca. EUR 17.5m) and GBP 20m  in unlicensed bets. That means millions of pounds could be wagered outside the regulated market on each round of matches.
• The BGC expects Premier League black market betting to rise by another GBP 200m (ca. EUR 234m) next season, taking the annual figure to around GBP 1bn. It linked the forecast to the planned increase in General Betting Duty from April 2027.
• Separate industry analysis forecasts estimate total stakes with illegal gambling operators in Britain to rise from nearly GBP 17bn (ca. EUR 19.9bn) this year to more than GBP 33bn (ca. EUR 38.6bn) by 2028. WARC (World Advertising Research Center) research also found that unregulated operators account for almost half of UK gambling advertising spend. The figures cover the wider gambling market rather than Premier League betting alone.
• BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said illegal operators offer customers none of the protections available in the regulated sector. “These operators pay no tax, fund nothing and answer to no one,” she said. The BGC wants action against illegal gambling websites and unlicensed operators sponsoring UK sport.

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