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Horse Racing: Gambling

Asked by Gareth SnellLabour (Co-op)Department for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 25 June 2026UIN 11712

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of a) number of bets placed with and b) total value of stakes wagered with illegal gambling websites and operators during the Royal Ascot festival.

Answered by Ian Murray

The Government does not hold this information.

We are taking action on the illegal gambling market, and as part of the 2025 Budget, HMT announced £26 million had been allocated to the Gambling Commission to increase investment, resources and capacity to further tackle the illegal market.

DCMS launched the Illegal Gambling Taskforce at the beginning of this year. The Taskforce consists of a wide range of stakeholders from across law enforcement, banks and payment providers, regulators, social media and tech providers, and experts from the gambling industry, with the aim of working together to take action against illegal gambling.

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