Global Illegal Online Gambling Market Reached $5.9tn in 2025, GCI Says

Illegal online gambling activity reached an estimated $5.9tn in wagering value in 2025, according to new figures from Gaming Compliance International (GCI), as offshore operators continued to expand across major markets.

The total was up 4% from $5.7tn in 2024. That followed a stronger jump the year before, when the market climbed 12% from an estimated $5.1tn in 2023.

GCI Report Points To Continued Offshore Growth

GCI’s Online Gaming 2025: Global report looked only at online activity and excluded land-based gambling. The study defines unregulated gambling as products operating without local licenses while actively targeting consumers in those markets.

The estimate covers sports betting, casino, poker, crypto gambling, lotteries and, outside the US, prediction markets.

According to GCI, unregulated operators now account for roughly 78% of global online gaming gross revenue, compared with 22% for licensed operators.

The report also highlighted what it calls a growing “White Noise Marketplace”, where consumers increasingly face a mix of regulated products, offshore brands and legally unclear offerings that can be difficult to distinguish.

UK Offshore Stakes Reach £16.6bn

Data from H2 Gambling Capital suggests unregulated offshore activity is taking a larger share of the UK market. H2 estimated offshore gambling stakes reached £16.6bn in 2025, up from around £5bn in 2019. That marks growth of more than 230% over six years.

The company also found that offshore stakes and operator profits doubled between 2023 and 2025.

At the same time, the share of gambling activity taking place through regulated channels slipped from 97% in 2019 to 92% this year.

Italy’s Illegal Market Grows Despite Advertising Ban

Data cited by Global Gambling News estimates Italy’s illegal gambling market has reached around €20bn despite a gambling advertising ban that has been in place since 2018.

Research from the Data Room Nexus Observatory found more than 4.5 million Italians accessed illegal gambling platforms during the first quarter of 2026, generating over 13 million visits across sites and apps.

Smartphones accounted for more than 90% of all recorded traffic.

Researchers identified Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and YouTube among the main acquisition channels. Operators were also found using referral links, push notifications and copycat websites designed to resemble licensed brands.

Italian authorities blocked more than 1,000 illegal gambling websites during 2025, though mirror sites frequently returned within hours or days.

The findings suggest restrictions did not eliminate demand. Instead, activity increasingly shifted into harder-to-track digital channels.

Why Illegal Operators Keep Gaining Ground

Offshore operators often avoid rules around advertising, KYC requirements, self-exclusion tools, age checks, responsible gambling controls and taxation. Prediction markets may add further pressure in markets where their legal status remains unclear.

The report also flagged illegal sports streaming as a major customer acquisition route. GCI said more than 80% of illegal sports streams viewed in the US and UK during 2024 and 2025 carried advertising from unregulated gambling operators.

Major sporting events remain another opportunity. The Super Bowl, March Madness and the FIFA World Cup continue to attract large audiences, with the 2026 World Cup likely to become another key recruitment window.

The numbers across multiple markets point to the same issue: while licensed operators face tighter rules, offshore brands continue finding new ways to reach players.