Black market bookmakers are forecast to take wagers totalling £500m during National Hunt season, the Betting and Gaming Council has warned.
The industry body for UK regulated bookies says this weekend’s Cheltenham November Meeting is expected to generate £10m in bets for unlicensed gambling companies.
The BGC argues that any bets placed with black market operators represents money lost to the British racing industry and the exchequer.
“Britain’s National Hunt season is one of the highlights of our sporting calendar, but criminal gambling operators are also looking to cash in, with £500m expected to be staked on the illegal black market,” said BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst.
“These operators contribute nothing to British racing, pay no UK tax and offer none of the vital protections customers expect from licensed bookmakers.
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SUBSCRIBE HERE“We will continue to work closely with the Government and the Gambling Commission to tackle the illegal black market, protect customers and ensure British racing continues to benefit from a strong, well-regulated betting industry.”
Unlicensed bookmakers take £17bn in bets in 2026
It is the latest warning from the BGC over unlicensed bookmakers, which will take £17bn in bets in 2026 alone, according to research by H2 Gambling Capital.
It follows calls to ban them from football altogether after Everton maintained a commercial partnership with crypto gambling platform Stake despite it being unlicensed in the UK.
UK regulated bookmakers are compelled to carry out age and money laundering checks and implement safer gambling measures.
Unlicensed betting platforms are not subject to those requirements yet account for almost half of UK gambling advertising spend, according to the World Advertising Research Centre.
This week’s three-day meeting at Cheltenham starts tomorrow and is one of the highlights of a jump racing season, along with the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, the Grand National at Aintree in April, and Cheltenham’s March festival.