BGC Warns Tax Reforms Could Push Gamblers to Illegal Sites

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned that proposed tax reforms on online betting could have severe unintended consequences, driving customers into the hands of unregulated black-market operators.

According to a new YouGov survey commissioned by the BGC, nearly a third of regular bettors would consider turning to black-market sites if legal operators were forced to withdraw offers and promotions due to increased tax burdens. Alarmingly, 14% of respondents admitted to already having used unlicensed sites, and 29% said they wouldn’t be confident spotting the difference between a legitimate operator and a black-market platform.

Read Also: Roundtable: Why Malta remains the ‘hub’ of European iGaming

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said:

Punters are clear: get the balance on tax and regulation wrong and you hand a competitive advantage to the black market where operators pay no tax, contribute nothing to British sport and offer no safer gambling protections.. Any tax hike would be catastrophic. This would put thousands of jobs and millions in investment at risk, while threatening the future of all sports that rely on regulated betting for funding – from racing and football to rugby league, darts and snooker. This is a wake-up call for the Government.

A recent BGC-backed report estimated that up to £4.3 billion is staked annually via black-market channels by around 1.5 million UK customers — a trend that undermines regulated operators and puts player safety at risk.

In other responsible gambling news, uncertainty continues to surround the future distribution of funds raised through the incoming Research, Education and Treatment (RET) levy. Many within the gambling harm reduction sector are calling for transparency and assurance, particularly around how smaller support organisations will be funded and integrated into the new system.

Read Also: Ukraine to Introduce National Online Gambling Monitoring System