The European Casino Association (ECA) hosted a high-level roundtable in the European Parliament on tackling illegal online gambling. The event title still referred to the 2024 figure of €80 billion, the figure available when the roundtable was organised, but that number was overtaken at the event itself: the 2025 figures, released for the first time during the roundtable, showed that the illegal online gambling market aimed at EU consumers had reached €91.6 billion, an increase of around 14%. The title was therefore already outdated the moment the new numbers were presented. Drawn from the study commissioned by the ECA to Gambling Compliance International (GCI) and set out by ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart, this rise deprived EU Member States of an estimated €22.9 billion in tax revenue.

A high-level roundtable in the European Parliament

The European Casino Association (ECA) organised a high-level roundtable discussion on illegal gambling in the European Parliament. Hosted by MEP Lukas Mandl, the gathering brought together EU lawmakers, the European Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), Eurojust, the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) on Europol, national gambling regulators and industry experts.

During the discussion, ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart presented the 2025 figures from the impact study on illegal online gambling that the ECA commissions annually from Gambling Compliance International (GCI). Participants exchanged views under the Chatham House Rule on the growing scale of illegal online gambling, how it is currently tackled, and what more can be done at European level. They acknowledged the growing scale of the problem and called for stronger enforcement and closer cooperation to support a safe, well-regulated gambling environment.

The discussion is timely, coming shortly after the European Commission’s proposal to reform the mandate of Europol, a key institution in the fight against cross-border crime, including illegal gambling.

What the 2025 GCI figures show

The latest impact study, commissioned by the ECA to Gambling Compliance International (GCI), shows that the illegal online gambling market aimed at EU consumers reached €91.6 billion in 2025, an increase of around 14% on the previous year. This clear upward trend deprived EU Member States of an estimated €22.9 billion in tax revenue in 2025.

The figures also show that illegal operators now account for the majority of online gambling revenue in the EU-27, that more than 6200 illegal operators are actively targeting European consumers, and that the overwhelming majority of online gambling content Europeans are exposed to promotes illegal, unlicensed operators.

What is meant by “illegal gambling”

In the 27 Member States of the European Union, there is no grey market and no third category. A gambling operator is either legal, meaning it is licensed in the country where it serves its customers, or it is unlicensed and therefore illegal. When the ECA speaks of illegal gambling, it means operators serving European consumers without the licence that national law requires.

What sets legal and illegal operators apart

Legal, licensed operators abide by national and EU law, apply anti-money-laundering measures and cooperate closely with national and EU authorities. They protect vulnerable consumers, with particular care for young adults, through strict responsible-gambling programmes; they make significant tax contributions; and they support local development, tourism and jobs.

Illegal, unlicensed operators, by contrast, operate outside any licence and any regulatory or ethical standard. They fail to apply anti-money-laundering measures and can facilitate money laundering and the financing of crime. They ignore age and identity checks and actively target young and vulnerable players, using aggressive marketing, personalised bonuses and free plays to drive compulsive play. They pay no tax in the countries they target, and they mislead consumers, for example by using the logos of legitimate operators in advertising to commit fraud.

ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart said: “The 2025 data from the GCI report leaves no room for doubt: illegal online gambling is a fast-growing, cross-border problem that puts players, especially young adults, at high risk, deprives societies of much-needed tax revenues, and undermines trust in the regulated market. Licensed casinos and their online businesses operate under strict rules and invest heavily in responsible gambling and anti-money-laundering measures. Yet illegal operators, often based outside the EU, can reach European consumers at the click of a button, without safeguards, without oversight and without contributing to our communities.”

“This is why we need strong political will and strengthened public-private cooperation that is aligned with this reality. By connecting national enforcement efforts, financial intelligence units and sector expertise, European institutions and agencies such as the European Commission, Europol and AMLA can help us turn data into action. If we fail to act now, the illegal online market will continue to grow at the expense of players, public finances and legitimate businesses.”

MEP Lukas Mandl said: “Illegal online gambling is not a niche issue, it is a serious cross-border threat that touches on consumer protection, organised crime and the integrity of our internal market. Europol is a crucial partner for Member States, but we must ensure that its mandate and resources allow it to fully support the fight against these illegitimate activities.”

“The evidence presented by the European Casino Association today show where cooperation is needed to do more. I will bring these insights into our parliamentary work and encourage colleagues cross-party to jointly go against the negative effects of illegal gambling from mental health issues to existential disasters of individuals and entire families, so that we can better protect citizens and make a clear difference between criminal activities and those operators who play by the rules.”

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Yaspa CTO Toby Sucharov comments in relation to yesterday’s UKGC announcement on Financial Risk Assessments. “The Commission’s decision to introduce Financial Risk Assessments in stages is a significant moment for the UK gambling sector. The original ambition was always to protect vulnerable consumers without disrupting the majority of players, and today’s announcement shows that the industry is now moving from debate into implementation.

“The crucial question is whether the data being used is good enough to support that ambition. Credit reference agency data has clear advantages because it can be frictionless, but it is also limited. It can show missed payments, defaults or debt management plans, but those are often signs that financial harm has already happened. It is more of a rear-view mirror than a windscreen.

“To protect consumers sustainably, operators could benefit from more direct insights into a customer’s real financial position. That is where open banking has an important role to play, particularly for the small proportion of customers who cannot be assessed cleanly through credit reference data alone. Real-time bank transaction data can provide a clearer view of income, disposable income and gambling activity.

“The key challenge that led to using credit reference agencies was the friction around gaining customer consent. Traditional affordability checks have struggled because they ask customers to complete a separate task, often through an email or on-site message that is disconnected from what the customer is trying to do. Consumers do not complete operator tasks – they complete their own tasks.

“Our view is that the check has to be tied to the customer journey, particularly the deposit journey. If a customer is already choosing to add funds, a clear and proportionate prompt can make the process feel intuitive rather than intrusive. We have seen real-time deposit-integrated checks converting at 70%, versus a typical rate of 12% for traditional affordability checks. That’s a material distinction, and enables the industry to deliver meaningful financial risk assessments while preserving the frictionless experience the Commission, operators and customers all want.”

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