As first reported by the BBC, the Scottish Borders Council’s website was temporarily hijacked, displaying gambling ads and directing users to unlicensed online casinos.
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has estimated that illegal betting during the 2026/27 English Premier League will generate up to £800 million for black market operators, with further forecasts predicting that the number will rise to £1 billion during the next 2027/28 season.
According to the BGC, the latest gambling logos front-of-shirt ban has also pushed for the rise of unlicensed gambling platforms, with the council believing that £20 million has already been wagered on the tournament during its opening weekend.
Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, stated:
“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.”
Although the council hasn’t shared the methodology or the source of analysis for the estimated illegal betting volumes, it cited data from WARC, which shows that unlicensed operators’ spending on gambling ads accounts for over half of the total amount in the UK, while additional analysis from H2 Gambling Capital has found that bets placed with illegal operators are expected to double from £17 billion in 2026 to £33 billion in 2028.
