UK Gambling Commission Study Analyzes Banking Data to Track Unlicensed Gambling Payments

The UK Gambling Commission released its first open banking study in November 2026, and the findings focus on anonymized banking transaction data connected to survey responses. Researchers examined millions of transactions spanning 2018 through 2026 from a dataset covering approximately 38,000 individuals, and they identified payments directed to suspected illegal gambling operators.

Study Methodology and Scope

Analysts combined transaction records with participant survey answers to flag activity linked to unlicensed sites, and this approach allowed them to isolate repeated payments rather than one-off incidents. The team concentrated on a subset of 122 people who showed multiple transactions with suspected illegal operators, which provided a clear group for detailed review while the broader dataset offered context on typical licensed activity patterns.

Key Overlap Between Licensed and Unlicensed Transactions

Among those 122 individuals, 91 percent also conducted transactions with licensed operators, and the data showed no substantial sustained drop in licensed activity following the first detected illegal payment. Observers note that this pattern suggests users often maintain accounts across both categories rather than shifting entirely away from regulated platforms, while the study tracked activity over several years to confirm the consistency of these behaviors.

Problem Gambling Rates and Survey Correlations

The study found much higher problem gambling rates among those using illegal sites, with 45 percent recording a PGSI score of 8 or above, compared to 6 percent among licensed users. Survey responses linked to the transaction data revealed these elevated scores, and researchers connected the figures directly to the presence of unlicensed payments rather than isolated factors. Data indicates that participants in the repeat unlicensed group reported these higher scores at notably greater frequency, which allowed the analysis to highlight differences across the two user segments.

Transaction Patterns Across the Full Dataset

Across the entire set of millions of transactions, the identification of unlicensed payments remained relatively contained within the smaller group of 122 repeat users, yet the overlap with licensed activity stood out as a consistent feature. The Gambling Commission report titled "Illegal gambling - Findings from an open banking data analysis" details how the open banking method captured these flows without compromising individual anonymity, and the approach enabled precise matching between payments and self-reported behaviors. Those who've studied this know the technique provides a new layer of visibility into areas where traditional reporting methods fall short.

Implications for Regulatory Monitoring

Regulators can now reference this baseline when reviewing future datasets, and the absence of a clear shift away from licensed sites after illegal activity begins points to continued engagement across multiple channels. The study covers the period up to 2026, which positions the results as current evidence for ongoing oversight efforts, while the connection between transaction records and PGSI scores offers a measurable indicator for tracking risk levels.

Conclusion

The open banking analysis supplies concrete figures on how repeat users of suspected illegal operators continue interacting with licensed platforms, and the elevated problem gambling rates within that group stand as documented outcomes from the combined data and survey approach. This single study marks the first application of the method by the UK Gambling Commission, and it establishes a reference point for subsequent examinations of payment flows in the gambling sector.