The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has issued a warning that about £10 million in wagers could be made on the black market ahead of this weekend’s Grand National race.
According to exclusive data conducted by the trade association, which represents over 90% of the UK-regulated industry, £250 million will be bet on the Aintree extravaganza. It also projects that £9.4 million, which includes both local and foreign wagers, will go to black market operators.
This year’s Grand National is expected to see about £10 million unlawfully staked on the dangerous and expanding black market for gambling, according to BGC CEO Grainne Hurst.
This will fuel crime, undermine player protection measures, and drain crucial funds from both the Treasury and sport.
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According to a research done in 2024 by the BGC, aggressive advertising that does not follow the law is driving 1.5 million British citizens to the black market, where they lose “up to £4.3bn” in wagers to illicit gambling.
According to several market analysts, if more is not done, the UK Treasury will lose an extra £335 million over Labour’s five-year term in office.
Because of its widespread appeal, online and offline black market operators find UK horse racing in particular to be quite appealing. In particular, 600 million people from 140 countries watch the Grand National.
“The Grand National is one of the very few sporting events in this country that can bring the entire country together around a single spectacle,” Hurst continued. Illegal operators are subverting the nation’s favorite pastime by providing thousands of gamblers, many of whom are at risk of injury, with illegal gambling.
This ought to act as a warning to the government, which has to avoid imposing onerous rules that could push gamblers toward illicit operators.
“The best defenses against this black market menace, which now poses an existential threat to British racing, are balanced regulations and a stable tax regime.”
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