EU states miss out on €22.9 billion in tax revenue due to illegal online gambling, association says

The European Casino Association (ECA) has said that a rise in illegal online gambling has deprived EU member states of an estimated €22.9 billion in tax revenue in 2025.

The ECA said that it hosted a high-level roundtable in the European Parliament on tackling illegal online gambling.

It said that 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 per cent over previous figures.

The ECA is the voice of the licensed, regulated casino industry in Europe, both land-based and online. It represents national associations and operators across its member countries.

It said that the estimated €22.9 billion figure was drawn from the study commissioned by the ECA to Gambling Compliance International (GCI) and set out by ECA Chair Erwin van Lambaart.

The roundtable discussion on illegal gambling in the European Parliament was hosted by MEP Lukas Mandl, the ECA said. 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.

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 ECA said.

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.

2025 figures

The latest impact study shows that the illegal online gambling market aimed at EU consumers reached €91.6 billion in 2025. “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 6,200 illegal operators are actively targeting European consumers, and that the overwhelming majority of online gambling content Europeans are exposed to promotes illegal, unlicensed operators.”

He ECA said that 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.”

Legal, licensed operators abide by national and EU law, apply anti-money-laundering measures and cooperate closely with national and EU authorities, it said.

“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.”

He spoke of the need for 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.”