BGC Report Shows 1.5m Brits Participating in Black Market Gambling
Recently, a global large-scale study was published by the Betting and Gaming Council known by its abbreviation BGC, which drew attention to an important and urgent problem. This problem is the sharply increasing number of British consumers engaging with illegal gambling websites. In other words, the growing influence of the black market in the gambling industry.
The research itself was carried out by a department called Frontier Economics, and was the first such large-scale study of the issue since the government reforms.
Here are some of the key points to know:
- The problem is affecting the younger generation the most
- One in five young people (namely those aged 18 to 24) have gambled with the black market
- £2.7bn was staked on illegal sites online across the UK
- Advertising bypasses restrictions and targets vulnerable categories
- Access to black market sites is becoming easier (primarily due to the rise of virtual private networks)
- The problem could cost the UK Treasury up to £335 million over five years
Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst focused on the availability of black market sites and said that the government needs to adopt balanced policies on this issue. According to her, the £2.7 billion wagered annually on such resources can easily finance the country's vital public services – such as healthcare and education.
More and more advertising is happening through social networks and media, and even through messaging apps. Anonymity and the absence of strict restrictions attract more and more users, and this must be dealt with correctly.
