Illegal operators accounted for 71% of online gambling revenue in the EU in 2024. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
A Yield Sec study published on Tuesday shows how 71% of online casino and betting revenue in 2024 went towards illicit operators, which adds up to about €80.6bn ($94bn). This is a 53% year-on-year increase, which is significantly more than the 30% growth of the regulated sector in the same period.
The overall market rose 46% to €114bn ($133bn), with Yield Sec conducting the research on behalf of the European Casino Association, which represents the interests of licensed operators. This figure covers online sportsbooks and iGaming sites, although it doesn’t account for digital lottery sales.
define illegal platforms as any operators which don’t hold a license to offer products
The researchers define illegal platforms as any operators which don’t hold a license to offer products in the country in which they’re targeting.
The data research company points towards tighter rules on gambling operations in Europe in recent years for marketing, bonuses, and game features, as being reasons for the interest in platforms offering instant registration, tax-free bonuses, and illegal live streams to sports events.
Yield Sec arrived at its figures by using both human and AI-powered monitoring of user activity on social media, search engines, apps, and streaming sites. It came across over 6,200 active platforms illegally offering gambling in the European Union in 2024.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
