As regulations tighten for licensed operators, unregulated gambling platforms continue to exploit loopholes, becoming more visible, accessible, and difficult to control.
The UK’s efforts to curb illegal gambling face a growing challenge, with black market operators consistently staying ahead of enforcement. A recent report by fraud specialist Alex Wood, commissioned by Flutter UK & Ireland, highlights how offshore betting sites remain easy to access and in many cases, are openly promoted online.
Wood’s investigation uncovered alarming failures in identity verification. In tests conducted ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, he successfully created accounts on offshore platforms using clearly fake identities.
Among the names used were well-known figures from horse racing, including Harry Skelton, Jack Kennedy, and trainer Willie Mullins. Even blatantly false addresses such as “Cheltenham racecourse” were accepted without question.
In one striking example, Wood registered under the name Red Rum, listing his occupation as “racehorse” and his address as “horse heaven.” Another platform allowed him to sign up as a six-year-old living at Buckingham Palace. These failures highlight how offshore sites may appeal to users attempting to bypass safeguards like self-exclusion systems.
The report also names several platforms, including MyStake, Velobet, and Cosmobet. MyStake recently drew attention after announcing a high-profile partnership with football star Ronaldinho. However, these claims were later discredited, with evidence suggesting that an image of the player shaking hands with the company’s CEO had been fabricated.
For regulators, the issue extends beyond the existence of these platforms to how effectively they reach users. According to Wood, social media plays a major role in customer acquisition. His Instagram feed quickly became saturated with posts directing users to offshore bookmakers, often through tipsters and influencer accounts.
Some links led to private groups on messaging platforms, where betting advice and referral codes were freely shared.
Alex Wood commented:
I’ve been shocked at the sheer amount of illegal, unlicensed gambling content being pushed and promoted online, and social media companies have serious questions to answer.
In another case, Wood queried Meta AI about offshore gambling options and received links to several black market sites aggressively targeting UK users.
Payment systems represent an additional weakness. Many offshore platforms still accept widely used methods such as bank cards and digital wallets, making it easy for users to transition from regulated to unregulated environments with minimal friction.
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