£100m Bet on Black Market Sites During Grand National, BGC Warns

The estimate includes as much as £40 million staked on the Grand National race itself, with the remaining £60 million coming from the surrounding races. As one of the biggest betting events in the UK calendar, these figures highlight the scale of illegal gambling activity during peak sporting moments.

While legal operators are estimated to have processed billions in wagers, the BGC argues that criminal bookmakers are increasingly targeting these high-profile events. Once again reinstating that while these sites look legitimate, they are offering services without the safeguards required of licensed firms.

Rising Pressure on Regulated Operators

The BGC used the data to underline what it sees as growing pressure on licensed betting companies. Higher operating costs and the introduction of stricter affordability checks risk making the regulated sector less competitive. CEO Grainne Hurst warned that overly intrusive measures could push some bettors toward unregulated alternatives.

Licensed operators in the UK are required to follow strict rules, including:

• Identity verification (KYC)
• Anti-money laundering procedures
• Safer gambling protections
• Stake limits
• Affordability checks

By contrast, black market platforms operate outside these frameworks, often offering little to no consumer protection. It’s possible that aspects such as KYC and affordability checks may be deterring bettors from using legal sites, to switch to less stringent black market ones.

As well as this, the recent surge in tax rates for online gambling operators does seem to be having an impact. Evoke is in talks with Ballys Intralot over selling the company, while at the same time planning to close 200 William Hill betting shops. If large operators are feeling the pinch, it could be disastrous for smaller ones.