Data also suggests a huge increase in consumers using VPNs to access these sites since the Online Safety Act came into force in July 2025.
A blog post from Tim Livesley, Head of the Data Innovation Hub at the Gambling Commission, has revealed fresh insight into how the regulator is tracking illegal gambling activity and the challenges it faces in measuring it accurately.
Speaking following the Commission’s Spring Evidence Conference in Birmingham, Livesley outlined both recent trends and ongoing efforts to refine the regulator’s methodology.
The latest analysis, extending trend data through February 2026, suggests that engagement continues to fluctuate rather than follow a clear upward or seasonal pattern, but shows just how prevalent illegal operators consistently a..