Gambling group Entain has warned that illegal gambling websites targeting UK consumers are being promoted across social media platforms through a sophisticated network of influencers, celebrities and content creators, with activity expected to intensify during the Men’s World Cup.
The study found that more than 30 unregulated gambling sites, including Stake, Rainbet and Duelbits, are being promoted to UK audiences through a coordinated ecosystem of influencers, celebrities, tipsters and content creators operating across major digital platforms.
Researchers identified 72 instances of UK-facing illegal gambling promotion across seven social media platforms, highlighting what Entain described as an increasingly organised and industrial-scale operation designed to reach millions of consumers.
Illegal gambling promotion embedded in everyday content
According to the report, illegal gambling promotion is no longer confined to specialist betting communities. Instead, it has become an “always on” presence embedded within mainstream social media content regularly consumed by young people.
The research found gambling-related promotional content across Kick, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitch. Researchers noted that around 20 per cent of TikTok’s UK audience is estimated to be under the age of 18, raising concerns about exposure among younger users.
The report argues that unregulated gambling operators are increasingly leveraging popular online communities, including football fandom, gaming content and the so-called manosphere, to promote offshore gambling products.
Football stars and influencers linked to offshore gambling brands
Researchers identified several high-profile football figures acting as ambassadors for offshore gambling operators, including Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Iker Casillas.
The report states that these partnerships provide unregulated gambling brands with access to audiences numbering in the tens of millions while helping to establish legitimacy among potential customers.
A wider network of social media personalities was also identified. Influencers including HSTikkyTokky, Ed Matthews and Adin Ross were found operating within content ecosystems where gambling promotion was frequently combined with displays of wealth, fitness culture and risk-taking behaviour. Researchers said these audiences are heavily concentrated among men aged between 14 and 25.
Coordinated affiliate campaigns uncovered
The study also uncovered evidence of coordinated affiliate marketing campaigns linked to illegal gambling websites. At least 12 football fan and betting tipster accounts covering clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United were found posting identical betting tips at the same time.
Researchers concluded the activity appeared to form part of a coordinated affiliate campaign designed to drive traffic to unregulated gambling operators. Most accounts reportedly provided little or no disclosure regarding commercial relationships with the gambling brands being promoted.
AI-generated content helps users bypass restrictions
One of the report’s most concerning findings was the emergence of AI-generated YouTube personas designed to show UK users how to bypass gambling restrictions. Researchers identified content offering guidance on using Virtual Private Network (VPN) services and identity verification workarounds to gain access to gambling websites that would otherwise be unavailable to UK consumers. The report suggests such tactics are helping offshore gambling operators circumvent regulatory barriers while expanding their reach among UK audiences.
The UK Gambling Commission has previously warned that rising use of VPNs is making it harder to accurately track illegal online gambling activity, potentially masking the true scale of the black market.
Illegal gambling websites use Kick to reach UK audiences
The streaming platform Kick was highlighted as a key component of the illegal gambling promotion ecosystem. According to the research, the platform hosts a dedicated gambling category with minimal age verification requirements and acts as a launchpad for content that is later redistributed across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Researchers found extensive use of referral codes, affiliate links and gamified incentives designed to encourage user engagement and customer acquisition.
Concerns raised over age verification and consumer protection
The report found consumer safeguards to be weak, inconsistent or easily circumvented across several of the platforms and operators examined. In at least one case, researchers discovered an operator that allowed users to create accounts without any age verification process.
Commenting on new research into illegal gambling activity online, @EntainGroup's Bejay Patel described the findings as a "wake-up call" for policymakers, regulators and law enforcement.
— Betting and Gaming Council (@BetGameCouncil) June 18, 2026
The report suggests children as young as 14 are being targeted through social media,…
The findings are likely to increase scrutiny of social media gambling advertising, particularly as regulators seek to limit underage exposure to gambling-related content.
Entain calls for stronger enforcement
Bejay Patel, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at Entain, said the research should serve as a warning to policymakers and regulators ahead of the World Cup.
“As the Men’s World Cup is underway, this research is 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.”
Research highlights growing World Cup gambling risks
The research was conducted by independent open-source intelligence researchers during May 2026. Data collection covered seven major social media platforms and generated 72 logged entries spanning 44 influencers, content clippers and betting tipster accounts. Researchers identified more than 30 distinct unregulated gambling websites engaged in active UK-facing promotional activity.
With World Cup engagement expected to drive higher online traffic and betting interest, the report warns that illegal gambling promotion could increase significantly throughout the tournament. Entain’s report comes against a backdrop of mounting concern about the scale of the UK’s illegal gambling market. Research cited by the organisation from WARC suggests that illegal operators now account for almost half of all gambling advertising spend in Britain and could overtake licensed operators by 2028.
Meanwhile, analysis by H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that stakes with black market operators could rise from £17 billion (about $22.8 billion) today to £33 billion ($44.3 billion) by 2028, highlighting what the BGC describes as a growing consumer protection challenge.
Step inside the world’s biggest iGaming community. Join HERE for weekly updates from the world’s iGaming authority and unlock subscriber-only offers.
