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How European Tax Changes Are Reshaping iGaming Media Budgets in 2025

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Throughout 2025, European iGaming markets have faced a new layer of complexity: shifting tax and licensing rules that directly impact marketing costs. Governments continue to increase gross gaming revenue (GGR) tax rates and impose stricter reporting standards.

As of July 2025, these changes have become a critical factor in how operators and agencies plan, distribute, and optimize user acquisition budgets. RockApp analysis indicates that tax policy is fundamentally reshaping the planning process for performance marketing across Europe.

European Tax Environment in 2025

Several major European markets have introduced or expanded gambling tax rules over the last 18 months:

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  • Germany: GGR tax increased from 5.3% to 7% in mid-2024. By Q2 2025, operators are recalibrating CPA targets and revising bonus strategies to preserve margin.
  • Netherlands: New compliance requirements implemented in January 2025 include enhanced KYC/AML reporting, adding operational costs and slowing onboarding funnels.
  • Eastern Europe: Romania and Poland are reviewing GGR tax bands, with planned 1–2% increases included in government budgets for H2 2025.

These changes raise per-user acquisition costs and reduce flexibility on pricing incentives. Media buyers now need to plan budgets and creative strategy with greater precision to maintain efficiency.

RockApp data, drawn from over 120 active campaigns in 2025, demonstrates how these pressures translate into real shifts in buying behavior and budget allocation.

Budget Impact on Media Buying Strategies

Analysis of campaign performance in 2025 reveals several clear trends:

  • Shift to Tier-2 GEOs: Markets with lower tax pressure (such as CIS, Balkans, and LATAM) are seeing 30-40% more acquisition budget allocation compared to 2023.
  • CPA Adjustments: Average first-time-depositor CPA in regulated Western European markets has risen from ~€120 in 2023 to €145–160 in 2025, driven by increased taxation and competitive auction dynamics.
  • Creative Cost Pressures: Bonus-focused creatives now demand tighter payout modeling to balance user appeal with higher GGR liabilities.

As a result, buying strategies have moved away from broad, high-volume campaigns toward segmented, CPA-focused plans with more granular GEO targeting.

Budget Impact on Media Buying Strategies

Tax policy changes don’t just influence operator balance sheets. They force a recalibration of the entire media buying strategy.

RockApp data from over 120 active campaigns in 2025 shows clear budget trends:

  • Shift to Tier-2 GEOs: Markets with lower tax pressure (e.g., CIS, Balkans, LATAM) now see 30-40% more acquisition budget allocation compared to 2023.
  • CPA Adjustment: Average first-time-depositor CPA in regulated Western Europe has climbed from €120 in 2023 to €145-160 in 2025, driven by both taxation and competitive auction prices.
  • Creative Cost Pressure: Bonus-focused creatives need tighter payout modelling, balancing marketing appeal with GGR realities.

For media teams, the result is a move away from broad, high-volume campaigns toward precisely segmented, CPA-optimized buying with robust GEO-targeting logic.

GEO Diversification as Strategic Response

For many brands, geo diversification has become the simplest and most effective hedge against rising tax costs.

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According to Appsflyer’s mid-2025 install cost benchmarks, CPIs in markets such as Brazil, India, and select African countries remain stable or are falling – averaging $0.60–$1.20 per pre-install, compared to $3+ in Western Europe.

RockApp’s planning data shows clear reallocation trends:

  • LATAM budgets up ~35% year over year.
  • Eastern Europe spending stable, with modest CPA increases.
  • Western Europe budgets flattening or declining, with more investment going toward targeted retargeting and high-value lookalike segments.

Diversifying GEO strategy is emerging as a necessary planning approach to balance premium Tier-1 acquisition costs with Tier-2 scale opportunities.

Tactical Media Buying Adjustments in 2025

In response to new taxation and compliance demands, advertisers are refining their acquisition tactics. Effective strategies seen across European campaigns this year include:

  • Hyper-segmentation: Adapting CPA targets at the micro-GEO, channel, and audience level.
  • Creative Flexibility: Developing multiple bonus tiers and transparent CTAs designed for localized regulations.
  • Source Tiering: Prioritizing verified, high-retention traffic sources over pure volume channels.
  • Automated Bidding Rules: Aligning bid pacing and budget allocation with region-specific margin goals and user lifetime value curves.

RockApp analysis suggests that these shifts are helping operators maintain acquisition efficiency in the face of rising costs and regulatory complexity.

Advice for Q3 and Q4 Planning

With peak acquisition season approaching, several planning considerations stand out:

  • Leverage Q3’s traditionally lower competition to test new channels and creative variations cost-effectively.
  • Prepare Q4 budgets for elevated CPA levels, using segmented bidding strategies and clear ROI targets.
  • Integrate compliance checks and fraud-control measures early in creative production to avoid approval delays and wasted spend.

RockApp data indicates that campaigns investing in upfront planning and testing see more stable CPA performance even in high-demand periods.

Conclusion

European tax changes have become a defining variable in iGaming growth strategy. These aren’t simply operational details – they now shape how marketing teams approach channel selection, creative design, and budget allocation at the most fundamental level.

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RockApp continues to monitor these shifts across campaigns and regions, helping operators and agencies adapt media buying systems to maintain acquisition efficiency in a more complex regulatory environment.

The post How European Tax Changes Are Reshaping iGaming Media Budgets in 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Maryland Casinos Generate $165.7 Million in Gaming Revenue During July

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Maryland’s six casinos combined to generate $165,661,894 in revenue from slot machines and table games during July 2025. The statewide total was down $4,159,416 (-2.5%) compared to July 2024.

Casino gaming contributions to the state during July 2025 totaled $71,857,827, a decrease of $305,727 (-0.4%) compared to July 2024. The July 2025 contributions included $51,742,064 to the Education Trust Fund, a decrease of $272,892 (-0.5%) compared to July 2024.

Casino gaming revenues also support the communities and jurisdictions where the casinos are located, Maryland’s horse racing industry, and small, minority- and women-owned businesses.

Maryland’s six privately owned casinos offer both slot machines and table games: MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County; Live! Casino & Hotel in Anne Arundel County; Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in Baltimore City; Ocean Downs Casino in Worcester County; Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County; and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County.

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The gaming revenue totals for July 2025 were as follows:

MGM National Harbor (2261 slot machines, 208 table games)

$68,587,339 in July 2025, a decrease of $3,396,384 (-4.7%) from July 2024

Live! Casino & Hotel (3832 slot machines, 179 table games)

$59,702,771 in July 2025, a decrease of $2,860,124 (-4.6%) from July 2024

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Horseshoe Casino (1365 slot machines, 115 table games)

$14,415,536 in July 2025, an increase of $1,098,302 (8.2%) from July 2024

Ocean Downs Casino (900 slot machines, 18 table games)

$10,236,754 in July 2025, an increase of $615,672 (6.4%) from July 2024

Hollywood Casino (731 slot machines, 23 table games)

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$7,622,642 in July 2025, an increase of $325,372 (4.5%) from July 2024

Rocky Gap Casino (630 slot machines, 12 table games)

$5,096,851 in July 2025, an increase of $57,746 (1.1%) from July 2024.

The post Maryland Casinos Generate $165.7 Million in Gaming Revenue During July appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Amusnet Sparks Excitement Among Italian Operators and Players with Royal Coins Saga Event

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Amusnet has strengthened its presence in the Italian iGaming market with the successful completion of the Royal Coins Saga tournament, held throughout July. Organised in collaboration with over 20 operator partners and featuring a €20,000 prize pool, the campaign attracted strong player participation and delivered significant results across all participating platforms.

Powered by Amusnet’s recently launched Tournament Tool, the campaign delivered a dynamic, competitive experience that enhanced the player engagement. The tool allows full customisation of event rules, duration, ranking criteria and prize structure, supported by a real-time leaderboard and intuitive setup. With flexible mechanics and varied reward types, it empowers operators to run impactful, tailored campaigns. Its strong performance in Italy reaffirmed its value as a trusted engagement solution, praised for its simplicity and measurable results.

The tournament showcased eight of Amusnet’s most popular titles in the Italian market, including Shining Crown, Royal Secrets, Extra Crown, 20 Extra Crown, Coin Gobbler, 20 Golden Coins, 40 Golden Coins and 100 Golden Coins. These titles continue to resonate with local audiences, combining engaging gameplay with proven appeal that helps operators deliver an enhanced entertainment experience.

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Branded with the slogan “Gioca, Conquista, Regna” (Play, Conquer, Rule), the campaign received extensive visibility across participating operator platforms.

Polina Nedyalkova, Director at Amusnet Italy, said: “Italy remains a key focus market for us as we continue to expand our footprint and enrich our offering. Campaigns like Royal Coins Saga are an essential part of our commitment to delivering experiences that bring value to both players and partners.”

The post Amusnet Sparks Excitement Among Italian Operators and Players with Royal Coins Saga Event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance

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FDJ UNITED, a leader in lottery, betting and gaming in Europe, announced its results for the first half of 2025.

• First-half revenue of €1867m: up +31% compared with H1 2024 reported and down -2% on a restated basis

• Buoyant performance by the French lottery and retail sports betting BU with revenue of €1290m, up +4% on a restated basis

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• Lottery revenue rose by +6% to €1065m. This performance can be attributed to the whole range of games and all distribution channels, particularly digital, which rose by +16% to €160m

• Point-of-sale sports betting revenue fell by -6% to €225m. This change reflects unfavourable sports results for the operator, despite stakes boosted by an attractive football offering (+4%)

• Online betting and gaming BU2 revenue of €466m, down -12% on a restated basis

• This change reflects a very unfavourable 2024 comparison base, due in particular to the Euro football tournament, as well as tax and regulatory impacts in 2025, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Excluding these two markets, revenue would be up 5% thanks to the performance of other countries, including France

• Second-quarter revenue came to €235m, up +2% compared with the first quarter of 2025

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• Recurring EBITDA of €441m, representing a margin of 23.6%, or 24.4% excluding the cost of the employee share ownership plan (€14m)

• Adjusted net income of €222m

• This reflects the impact of the financing of the Kindred acquisition on the financial result and the one-off tax contribution on the profits of large French companies

• 2025 objectives reiterated: stable revenue versus 2024 pro forma, with a recurring EBITDA margin of over 24%

• Successful employee share ownership plan bringing the share of capital held by employees to 4.6%

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• Taken up by more than half of employees and largely oversubscribed

“2025 stands as a transition year for FDJ UNITED, with the integration of Kindred well on track. In this context, our first-half performance is in line with the expected full-year trajectory. Besides, we are pleased by the success of the employee share ownership plan launched by the Group, reflecting our long tradition of sharing FDJ UNITED’s value creation with all stakeholders,” Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of FDJ UNITED.

The post FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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