The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has issued a stark warning to the gambling and sports industries as well as the Government, claiming that £1bn worth of bets will be placed with unlicensed operators in the 2027/28 Premier League season.
Once again, the BGC has placed a portion of the blame on the increase in taxes, saying that the figure is forecast to reach the nine-figure mark “following April’s planned increase in General Betting Duty”.
The research suggests that this season, which kicked off last Friday, will result in £800m in bets taken for the UK’s black market.
A recent tax hike in remote gaming duty from 21% to 40%, coupled with the proposed rise in general betting duty from 15% to 25% will have no doubt played some part in an influx of black market punters.
The proposed implementation of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) by the UK’s Gambling Commission has also been criticised by the BGC and other industry stakeholders as they believe it will encourage more bettors to use illegal operators.
Unlicensed operators are still able to partner with Premier League clubs, though there is an ongoing consultation process to remove these from UK sport.
The BGC’s Chief Executive Officer, Grainne Hurst, commented: “Millions of football fans will enjoy a bet safely with regulated operators this season, backing their team week in, week out.
“But the criminal black market is looking to cash in too, taking millions of pounds on every round of matches while offering customers none of the protections found in the regulated sector.
“These operators pay no tax, fund nothing and answer to no one. Every pound they take is a pound lost to British sport and to the Treasury.”
Continued uproar about unlicensed Premier League deals
The BGC, alongside some of the UK’s licensed gambling operators, has been very vocal in calling out that illegal operators have the same opportunities as regulated ones in the world’s most-viewed football league.
Entain has been one of the flagbearers in protesting against the illegal market.
The LSE-listed firm has taken its complaints to key stakeholders in UK football, including the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), the Premier League and six of its clubs from the 2025/26 season who had deals with illegal operators.
It seems that those calls weren’t heeded by one of those clubs, Everton, which has continued to partner with Stake, a firm that exited the UK last year.
The BGC has cited research that claims £15m-£20m will be staked on illegal sites “on a typical weekend” in the Premier League, likely not aided by sponsorship deals such as the one mentioned above.
Hurst continued: “Licensed operators are regulated in Britain and follow strict rules on consumer protection, safer gambling and robust financial safeguards.
“Illegal black market operators do not. They undermine player protections, avoid taxes, ignore safer gambling standards and put consumers at serious risk.
“With illegal betting on the Premier League on course to reach £1bn a season, we support action that protects fans, upholds standards and keeps customers safe within the regulated market.”