A wide-ranging project
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published the first of several reports on the extent of the illegal online gambling sector in the region. It collaborated with Yonder Consulting to speak with more than 2,000 people about their online betting activity.
initial focus was on consumer behaviors, motivations, and personas
The initial focus was on consumer behaviors, motivations, and personas, with the goal of this particular research being to get insights into the type of people who use illegal sites, what their interactions look like, and what motivates them to choose these options.
Differentiating the groups
Researchers identified four main groups of people who use these sites. There are individuals who have self-excluded from all UK-licensed sites, those who discover platforms through social media and forums and want to try them out, others who accidentally stumble across them and don’t know they’re illegal, and people who knowingly choose them because they want to use cryptocurrencies or explore new game types.
other groups usually use UKGC-licensed sites and not just illegal platforms
A key finding was that apart from the self-excluders, the other groups usually use UKGC-licensed sites and not just illegal platforms. Some big motivators for people using these alternatives include getting higher odds, trying out games unavailable in the UK, the ability to use other payment options, avoiding staking limits, and avoiding excessive ID verification checks.
The most popular gambling products on the illicit platforms are soccer betting, online bingo, online slots, and virtual gaming.
Fighting back
The researchers didn’t notice any clear pattern in the demographics of these groups compared to those who exclusively use UK-licensed sites.
The regulator has been taking a hard stance against illicit platforms, with the UKGC Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes remarking that its disruption activity has increased tenfold since April 2024.
In addition to the release of the first report, a new “Illegal Gambling Hub” is now up, collating all research, updates, and advice about determining whether a gambling site is unlicensed or illegal.
