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New Research Reveals Shocking Size of Black Market Gambling Across Europe
Research for the Betting and Gaming Council has uncovered the shocking scale of black market gambling in European countries following the introduction of strict new measures on regulated operators.
The findings come from industry research and a PWC report for the BGC as the Government finalises its work on the upcoming Gambling Review and against a backdrop of increased use of black market sites in the UK.
British punters using unlicensed sites have more than doubled in just two years, from 220,000 users to 460,000 and the amount staked is now in the billions of pounds.
The report by PWC said: “This analysis suggests that the UK has a more ‘open’ online gambling market and currently has a smaller unlicensed market share than our European benchmarks.
“Whilst it is not possible to isolate the impact of individual regulatory characteristics, the above assessment suggests that jurisdictions with a higher unlicensed market share tend to exhibit one or more restrictive regulatory or licensing characteristics.”
As the growth of these sites has rocketed, black market sites’ revenues in Norway have more than tripled since 2010 and French black market revenues have almost doubled since 2015.
BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher said: “We support the Gambling Review but there is a real danger that it leads to the regulated industry being smaller and the illegal black market growing substantially.
“This research is stark about the dangers of the black market, we have to learn lessons from abroad, and make the right choice at this dangerous crossroads.
“BGC members alone employ nearly 120,000 people and pay £4.5 billion in tax in the UK. The black market, of course, pays no tax and employs no one in our country.
“Any shift to the unsafe black market would also jeopardise the £350m a year which our members currently give to horseracing in sponsorship, media rights and the betting levy – financial support which has proved crucial during the pandemic.”
Rhadamès Killy, Former General Counsel at the French gambling regulator, said: “When we introduced our regulations in France in 2010, we analysed that the black market was the most extensive in the European states where the statutory regime was the most restrictive.
“A balance is required to effectively regulate without promoting the black market – I believe that balance is best struck when targeted restrictions focus on support for those at risk, but not excessively hinder or punish the wider public.”
According to a recent report from the Gambling Commission, rates of problem gambling have dropped from 0.6% to 0.3% of the adult population suggesting that safer gambling measures introduced recently in the regulated sector have helped the decline in the rate of problem gambling.
By comparison, Norway has a problem gambling rate of 1.4%, while a survey by Public Health France last year estimated that the rate in that country was 1.6% – up from 0.8% in 2014.
This latest research by the BGC backs similar studies across Europe that consistently show a link between stricter regulations – and a surge in black market activity.
The BGC is calling on Government to consider targeted measures which protect vulnerable gamblers – not a blanket approach which could force the vast majority who bet safely onto the black market.
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Million Games is pleased to announce the release of Million Mine, a strategic, grid-based casino game inspired by the beloved mechanics of minesweeper. Offering a modern update to the classic format, Million Mine lets players select their difficulty, uncover hidden diamonds, and cash out before disaster strikes.
The game features:
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Customisable grid sizes from 3×3 to 7×7
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Mines selection from 3 to 24 for adjustable volatility
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Instant cashout after any successful pick
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A 96.3% RTP and a high multiplier ceiling
Each tile revealed adds tension and reward, making Million Mine a fast-paced, strategic game of choice and nerve.
“Million Mine is deceptively simple—but a great player experience,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s familiar, clean, and highly customisable. We see it becoming a favourite for both casual players and high-stakes explorers.”
Million Mine is now available across all Million Games partner platforms.
The post Million Games Launches Million Mine – A Strategic Grid Game Inspired by a Classic appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025
ReferOn, a next-gen affiliate management platform, has officially been nominated for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category at SBC Lisbon 2025, cementing its position as a key partner for operators and affiliate teams.
This shortlisting highlights the platform’s rapid growth in 2025 due to its developments that address real problems affiliate managers face, a passionate product-minded team, and ambitious plans to empower users in the affiliate marketing industry.
ReferOn challenges legacy platforms by creating a simple and accessible system built for modern needs and placing affiliate marketing at the forefront of growth strategy. Key features such as full-cycle automation, customisable dashboards and reports in pivot-style format, instant postbacks, and real-time data visibility reduce chaos and bring clarity to operations, ultimately boosting performance. Additionally, powerful tools like the Sub-Affiliate System, No Bundling Model, and dynamic variables provide managers with increased control.
Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the nomination, “Acquisition and retention aren’t just buzzwords to keep affiliates happy. They’re real benchmarks that help our users drive growth and scale. The ReferOn team has proudly built a platform that gives affiliate managers real control, clarity, and speed over their operations to help achieve their
goals. This nomination reflects our efforts and how far we’ve come regarding pushing the industry forward and challenging the status quo.”
The nomination for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category bolsters ReferOn’s roadmap and growth trajectory. Going forward, the team will continue to invest in impactful product developments and customer-facing services to become the leading platform for affiliate managers.
Key ReferOn members will be in attendance at the SBC Lisbon Awards 2025 ceremony on September 18 for a night celebrating excellence and innovation.
The post ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
This text contains puns. Reader discretion is advised.
“Dragon’s Diamonds” is now live, a fang-tastic 6×5 new scatter-pays slot from the Berlin-based developer Hölle Games with wins of up to 12,000x.
Unlike the miserly reputation they’re known for (a tall tail), the Hölle Dragon is a generous beast (with a fiery personality). With every matching cluster that lands, the Dragon will breathe flames onto the reels – removing winning symbols and allowing more to fall into place. There is no limit to the number of potential cascades that can occur here, so lucky players can quickly scale-up their hoard of wins.
Plus, hitting 4 or more scatters to enter the Free Spins will unlock the Feature Multiplier, which cumulates all Multiplier wins across the entirety of the Free Spins. Re-triggers can be clawed out too, with only 3 scatters needed.
For any players who find the base game is dragon-on, there is the Stake Boost feature, which increases the chances of hitting the Feature for a slightly higher stake, or also the option of directly entering Free Spins via the Feature Buy. That’s no fire-drill!
The game is now available for MGA with other territories winging it this way soon.
The post SHINE ON DRAGON’S DIAMONDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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