Black market bookies to take half a billion in bets during jump season

£10m is expected to be staked with illegal gambling operators at this weekend’s Cheltenham meeting An estimated £500m is forecast to be wagered with illegal gambling operators during Britain’s National Hunt season, as the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warns of the growing threat posed by the criminal black market to British racing and its fans. The warning comes ahead of this weekend’s Cheltenham November Meeting, one of the biggest fixtures of the early jump racing season, where £10m is expected to be staked with illegal gambling operators across the three-day festival.