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BGC reveals over £60M illegal bets placed during Cheltenham
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has revealed that more than £60 million was potentially placed in bets with illegal operators during the Cheltenham Festival.
The festival took place between March 10, 2026, and March 13, 2026, and is believed to have generated around £1 billion in total bets, of which around £2 million per race was possibly wagered with illegal operators, as UK data shows that the illegal gambling market accounts for 6% of all bets in the country.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst commented:
“Cheltenham is the biggest week of the year for racing fans, and millions of fans placed bets safely with regulated operators. But the criminal, harmful black market also tried to cash in, targeting punters with illegal betting that offers none of the protections provided in the regulated sector.”
As the UK is about to increase the remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% in April 2026, Hurst noted that these changes also lead to rises in black market activity.
Hurst added:
“Rising taxes and increasingly intrusive checks will only make it harder for legitimate operators to compete. The priority must be keeping punters in the regulated market, where protections are in place, rather than driving them towards harmful, unregulated operators.”
The BGC called on stakeholders to put more effort into fighting against criminal gangs to ensure player protection and safeguard the racing sector.
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