Entain has released new research indicating an alarming increase in illegal gambling promotions aimed at UK consumers, with fears that such activities will escalate during the FIFA World Cup. The study reveals that illegal gambling operators targeting the UK are utilizing organized networks of influencers, content creators, and tipsters to engage consumers via social media channels.
The research highlights that illegal gambling promotions have become a persistent presence in related content within football, gaming, and influencer messaging, particularly among young audiences. It documented 72 specific instances of illegal promotions linked to more than 30 unregulated gambling websites.
These promotions were found across major platforms such as X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, with several high-profile footballers, including Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard, and Iker Casillas, serving as ambassadors for unregulated brands based overseas. Furthermore, the study noted the emergence of AI-generated YouTubers promoting ways to bypass gambling regulations, including methods for using VPNs and identity verification tools.
It also discovered coordinated affiliate campaigns by betting-tipster and football fan accounts associated with clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool. Instances were recorded where 12 or more comments sharing the same betting tip appeared simultaneously on posts, despite no commercial ties.
The streaming platform Kick was identified as a significant venue for promoting illegal gambling, where influencers use referral codes and affiliate links to attract potential customers to offshore operators.
Bejay Patel, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at Entain, emphasized the seriousness of the findings, saying, "As the Men’s World Cup is underway, this research serves as a wake-up call to government, regulators, and law enforcement agencies that illegal gambling promotion is not operating at the fringes but is now operating at scale in the UK with coordinated networks primed to target millions of UK fans during the tournament. It also raises serious questions about whether regulators and enforcement agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle the highly coordinated illegal gambling promotion effectively, particularly across global social media platforms."
