Swimming with the Sharks

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A study commissioned by the European Casino Association (ECA) reveals alarming figures about the scale and growth of illegal online gambling in Europe.

The analysis, conducted by Yield Sec and released last November, reported that illegal operators now account for 71 percent of the European Union’s online gambling market, representing an estimated €80.6 billion in gross gaming revenue—more than double the legal market’s €33.6 billion.

According to the study:

    • Illegal online gambling operators generated €80.6 billion in revenue in 2024, costing member states €20 billion in lost taxes.

    • The number of illegal operators targeting EU citizens in 2024 increased by 26 percent from 4,921 in 2023 to 6,220 in 2024.

The study also reported that 92 percent of all the online content seen by European consumers promotes illegal online gambling.Of the estimated 118 million Europeans who interacted with online gambling during 2024, 81 million engaged with illegal and unregulated operators. These platforms offer no consumer protections, responsible gambling measures or dispute resolution and often do not even feature basic KYC for age verification.