Black market eyes £200m World Cup payday during FIFA World Cup

The illegal gambling black market is expected to cash in during this summer’s FIFA World Cup. It’s estimated that around £200m is forecast to be staked with unregulated operators throughout the tournament.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in world football. It attracts huge betting interest from fans across the globe. In Britain alone, more than £1bn is expected to be wagered with licensed betting operators during the competition.

However, alongside the regulated market, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned that criminal gambling operators are preparing to exploit the tournament’s popularity. These sites operate without a UK licence and offer none of the consumer protections, safer gambling tools or regulatory safeguards required of legal operators.

The warning comes as around one-third of all betting account holders are expected to place at least one wager on the World Cup.

Concerns over financial risk checks

The BGC argues that proposed financial risk assessments could unintentionally strengthen the illegal market. This might be the case if customers are required to provide sensitive financial information, including bank statements and other personal documents.

According to industry modelling, if the checks are implemented as currently envisaged in the pilot programme, the amount staked with illegal operators during the World Cup could increase by a further £50m. That would bring total black-market betting activity during the tournament to as much as £250m.

The analysis also suggests more than 400,000 customers could be subjected to financial risk assessments during the competition. Of those, more than 50,000 could choose to move their betting activity to unregulated operators instead.

The figures add to growing concerns about the expansion of the illegal gambling market, which continues to target UK consumers while operating outside British laws and regulations.

"But while football fans back their teams, the criminal black market will also be looking to cash in, targeting customers with illegal gambling that offers none of the protections available in the regulated sector." — Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council

Black market growth remains a key concern

The  BGC said the findings highlight the importance of ensuring customers remain within the regulated market. Here, operators must comply with strict requirements around age verification, anti-money laundering procedures and safer gambling measures.

Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the BGC, warned that policies which make it harder for regulated operators to compete risk strengthening the position of illegal firms.

She said the priority should be keeping customers within licensed environments where robust protections are available rather than pushing them towards operators that offer no safeguards at all.

Recent research has pointed to a growing black market presence. Independent analysis from WARC found that unregulated operators now account for almost half of all UK gambling advertising spend. Separate forecasts from H2 Gambling Capital estimate that the amount wagered with illegal operators in Britain could rise from £17bn this year to more than £33bn by 2028.

Regulated sector shows economic contribution

The BGC also used the World Cup warning to highlight the scale of the regulated betting and gaming sector's contribution to the UK economy.

According to the trade body, licensed operators support more than 109,000 jobs, contribute £6.8bn to the economy and generate £4bn in annual tax revenues.

The organisation said tackling the criminal gangs behind illegal gambling websites must remain a priority for policymakers, regulators and enforcement agencies. This is particularly important during major sporting events that attract heightened betting activity.

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