Three-quarters of UK adults can’t tell the difference between legitimate and unlicensed gambling promotions on social media, according to new research. With major sporting events like the World Cup drawing massive audiences online, the findings raise some pretty serious questions about how many people are unknowingly clicking through to dodgy operators with zero consumer protection.

The Recognition Gap

The study, commissioned by Entain (which owns Ladbrokes and Coral) and covering more than 2,000 adults, paints a worrying picture. Most respondents struggle to identify whether a betting ad comes from a licensed provider. Few feel confident spotting approved operators at all. That’s a genuine problem, because the gap between what people think they can identify and what they actually can is exactly where illegal operators thrive.

Here’s the thing: when asked directly, most people said they’d avoid unlicensed sites if they could tell them apart. But they can’t. So good intentions don’t matter much when you can’t spot the difference. Unregulated operators offer no identity checks, no dispute resolution, and absolutely no guarantee your winnings will actually get paid out. You’re essentially gambling blind.

Trust in Regulation Wearing Thin

Public confidence in the regulatory framework isn’t exactly inspiring. Few respondents believe current laws are effectively tackling illegal gambling, and roughly a third think authorities aren’t doing enough to protect consumers. Social media platforms keep getting flagged as the main vector for illicit betting content, especially during major tournaments when dodgy operators go into overdrive.

These illegal campaigns are clever too. They use influencers and informal networks to spread quickly, making it nearly impossible for ordinary users to verify whether they’re looking at a real operator or a scam dressed up as one.

The Industry Response

Entain’s launched an awareness campaign featuring online personality Big John, with short videos explaining the practical differences between licensed and unlicensed platforms. The approach focuses on what actually matters to players: where to check licensing credentials, whether a site has proper responsible gambling tools, and whether payment systems are secure.

It’s a reasonable effort. But the research itself suggests the real challenge isn’t just education. People need tools and systems that make legitimate operators obviously legitimate at a glance. Right now, the burden’s entirely on the user to do detective work, and most simply aren’t doing it.

What the team thinks

Carl Mitchell says:

Look, this research isn’t exactly surprising given what I’ve seen on the ground over the past decade, but it’s a wake-up call that the industry needs to take seriously because those unlicensed operators genuinely offer zero protection to punters who get caught out. What concerns me more than the headline figure is that we’re not hearing enough about the positive work licensed operators ARE doing with verification badges and clearer disclosures, which could help close this gap faster than relying on punters to become overnight compliance experts. The real story here isn’t just about player vulnerability, it’s about how the regulated sector can do more to visibly differentiate itself online so that World Cup season doesn’t become open season for the sharks.