Entain has called for action over what it says is a coordinated network of illegal gambling promotion targeting UK audiences on social media during the men’s World Cup.
The Ladbrokes and Coral owner published research on 17 June 2026 which identified UK-facing promotional activity for more than 30 unregulated gambling websites. The company said the activity was spread across major digital platforms and was linked to football content, gaming, influencer marketing and short-form video.
Research Identifies Social Media Network
Entain said independent open-source intelligence researchers carried out the work in May 2026. According to the company, the research produced 72 logged entries across 44 influencers, “clippers” and tipster accounts, and identified more than 30 distinct unregulated gambling websites with active UK-facing promotional activity.
The operator said the activity appeared across Kick, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitch. It also said gambling promotion was embedded in football fan content, gaming material, viral short-form video and what it described as “manosphere” influencer culture.
SBC News reported that Entain’s research named Stake, Rainbet and Duelbits among the most active sites identified. The article said other brands cited in the research included Roobet, Shuffle, Winna, Gamdom and several crypto-linked casino or betting sites.
The issue has added significance because the World Cup is expected to increase football-related engagement online. Entain said the promotional infrastructure was already in place and could intensify as the tournament progresses.
Underage Audience Concerns
A central concern in Entain’s findings is the possible exposure of younger users to gambling content. The company said the promotion was embedded within mainstream content consumed by young UK men aged 14 to 25, rather than being confined to users actively searching for gambling sites.
Entain also said around 20% of TikTok’s UK audience is estimated to be under 18, and that consumer safeguards across the platforms examined were weak, inconsistent or easy to bypass. The company said at least one operator required no age verification to create an account.
Bejay Patel, Entain’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, said the findings were a “wake-up call” for government, regulators and law enforcement, arguing that illegal gambling promotion is operating at scale rather than at the margins of the market.
Regulatory Backdrop
The findings come shortly after the Committee of Advertising Practice issued an enforcement notice on gambling ads likely to have strong appeal to under-18s. The ASA said active monitoring began on 11 June 2026 and that ads likely to strongly appeal to under-18s should be amended or withdrawn immediately.
The Gambling Commission also said on 4 June 2026 that a new compliance check on content marketing was being launched, following CAP’s enforcement notice to gambling businesses. The Commission said the notice focused on expectations that content marketing should not strongly appeal to under-18s.
The ASA and CAP’s gambling guidance states that gambling advertising rules are designed to ensure ads are socially responsible, with particular regard to protecting children, young people and vulnerable groups from being harmed or exploited by gambling advertising.
Entain’s report is not a regulator ruling and does not itself establish legal findings against the named operators or platforms. However, it adds to current pressure around how gambling-related content is distributed on social media, particularly when that content involves football, influencers or referral-style promotion during a major tournament.
For UK regulators, the question is now whether existing monitoring and enforcement tools can keep pace with cross-platform gambling promotion that may originate outside the licensed market.
