Gambling Commission research highlights motivations behind illegal online gambling use

New research from the Gambling Commission has found that consumers who use illegal gambling websites are driven by a complex mix of motivations, attitudes and personal circumstances, rather than any single factor such as regulatory changes or market conditions.

The findings are set out in Illegal online gambling – Phase 3: Understanding the key push factors driving consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites, the latest report in the Commission’s Consumer Voice research programme. Conducted by Yonder Consulting, the study combined digital intelligence, a large-scale quantitative survey and in-depth qualitative interviews to build a detailed picture of those who engage with unlicensed gambling operators.

According to the report, engagement with illegal gambling websites remains limited to a relatively small minority of people who gamble. However, the research seeks to better understand the motivations and behaviours of those consumers who do access the illegal market.

Researchers found significant differences between these groups in their motivations, attitudes towards regulation and awareness of the risks associated with illegal gambling websites. The report suggests that consumer engagement with the illegal market is shaped by a combination of conscious choices and broader personal attitudes, rather than by isolated external influences.

The Commission said the findings strengthen its evidence base on illegal gambling and gambling-related crime, which forms part of its wider programme of research into evidence gaps and regulatory priorities. The research is intended to help improve understanding of how consumers encounter illegal operators and the factors that can influence their decisions to use them.

The report forms the latest instalment in the Gambling Commission’s ongoing programme of research into the illegal online gambling market, aimed at supporting evidence-led approaches to consumer protection and enforcement activity.