European Online Gambling Revenue Hits Record €18 Billion in 2025

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has announced a record-breaking year for its member operators, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) soaring by 34% to reach €18 billion in 2025. This significant increase reflects the continued expansion of Europe’s regulated online gambling market.

EGBA’s Annual Activity Report 2026 details a substantial rise in online activity, attributing the growth to both an expanded EGBA membership and organic market expansion. The report underscores the trend toward multi-licensing across all EU member states, alongside increased scrutiny on anti-money laundering practices.

Key Facts

Market Growth and Player Activity

The €18 billion GGR figure represents a notable leap from 2024, signaling robust performance within the regulated sector. This growth was mirrored in the volume of player activity. The number of online stakes placed surged by 40% to 248.7 billion, with their total value climbing 28% to €275.3 billion.

Despite the overall increase in stakes, the average stake value saw a slight decrease of 9%, falling from €1.21 to €1.11. The report suggests this trend is linked to a broader industry shift towards more frequent, lower-value betting patterns. Active customer accounts also saw a healthy increase of 13%, reaching 43.8 million. The aggregate return-to-player rate saw a minor dip to 93.4% from 93.7% in the previous year.

Regulatory Landscape and Licensing

EGBA member operators held a total of 401 online gambling licenses across 22 European jurisdictions in 2025. This represents a 25% increase from 321 licenses in 2024, highlighting the growing reach of regulated online gambling and the increasing complexity of the licensing landscape.

Safer Gambling Initiatives

The report also emphasized the success of European Safer Gambling Week, held from November 17-23, 2025. This initiative saw record participation, with 221 partners from 24 countries involved, a 14% increase on 2024. The campaign achieved a social media reach of 4.1 million people, up 32%. The week featured 23 events, attracting 4,000 registrations and 120 speakers. For the first time, safer gambling messaging was integrated into live televised football matches across Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, and Italy.

Barry Magee, director of communications at EGBA, stated, “European Safer Gambling Week 2025 was the biggest and most impactful edition yet. The record participation demonstrates that safe and sustainable gambling is a key priority for our sector, with more than 220 organisations uniting in a collective commitment to enhance player protection.”

Standardization and Legal Victories

A significant development in 2025 was the approval of EN 18144, the first European standard on markers of harm for online gambling, by the European Committee for Standardisation in September. This standard, an EGBA initiative launched in 2022, formally defines nine core behavioral indicators and was published in May 2026.

EGBA also secured a legal victory in October 2025 when the Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed the Netherlands’ appeal in a long-standing state aid dispute, ruling in EGBA’s favor. This ruling mandates the European Commission to investigate whether the Netherlands’ 2014 extension of gambling licenses, granted without competitive tender, constituted illegal state aid.

Market Liberalization Continues

In January 2026, Finland’s parliament voted decisively, with 95% in favor, to end the country’s online gambling monopoly. The new multi-licensing framework is set to take effect on July 1, 2027, marking Finland as the last EU country to transition away from a fully exclusive state monopoly.

Maarten Haijer, secretary general of EGBA, commented, “In Europe, governments have concluded that public policy objectives, particularly related to consumer protection, are more effectively met through well-regulated online competition fostered by multi-licensing.”

Membership Expansion

The report also noted Tipico joining EGBA as its ninth full operator member during the year. They join existing members bet365, Betsson Group, Entain, evoke, FDJ United, Flutter, LeoVegas, and Super Technologies. Yaspa became an associate member in July 2025, alongside Aircash and Sumsub. Collectively, EGBA’s members account for approximately 30% of Europe’s online gambling GGR.

The EGBA secretariat also saw growth with new appointments, while thanking departing long-serving staff members.

This report highlights the dynamic growth of the regulated online gambling sector in Europe, with EGBA members at the forefront of both revenue generation and commitments to safer gambling practices. The trend towards multi-licensing and stricter regulatory oversight is shaping the future of the European iGaming market.

Source: European Gaming – https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2026/07/13/209158/egba-members-ggr-surges-34-to-record-18bn-in-2025/