IAGA Summit Berlin: June 10-12, 2025
Recent research by Yield Sec paints a distinct picture: a staggering 70 per cent of online gambling in the EU now takes place on non-licensed illegal websites. Te financial implications are profound - around €80 billion were earned by illegal operators through these unregulated channels in 2024 alone. At a modest tax rate of 25 per cent (many countries tax even higher), this represents at least €20 billion in lost public revenues that could fund vital public services.
But the crisis goes far beyond taxation. Te legal, compliant industry faces significant revenue losses, while players who engage with illegal operators are left completely vulnerable, with no consumer protection or safeguards for responsible gambling. Often these players are young adults under the age of 25, who find it easy to navigate the Internet because it is their domain.
As Chairman of the European Casino Association, which represents over 700 licensed casinos employing 70,000 people across Europe of which 60 per cent of our members also offer licensed regulated online products, I cannot stress enough the urgency of this situation. Illegal gambling is a significant and immediate security, economic and social threat that requires decisive action from politicians, law enforcement organisations and regulators, both at national and international (including EU) levels.
Are we making tangible progress in tackling illegal gambling?
Grainne Hurst: Well, studies appear to be showing it is growing, not shrinking. A study by Frontier Economics, funded by the BGC found 1.5m Brits are staking up to £4.3bn annually on the black market. Tat doesn’t sound like progress. Te fact is onerous, and ill-judged regulations drive customers from the regulated sector to the unsafe, unregulated gambling market. Te best defence against this growing threat is balanced regulations and a stable tax regime.
Te UK government is currently consulting on new tax proposals our members fear will further raise taxes on remote gambling. After a White Paper which hit the sector with over a
106
billion in lost revenue, this is the last thing we need if we want to preserve tax take and prevent customers going to the growing unsafe illegal gambling market online.
Erwin van Lambaart: I regret to say that our progress is very short of what the scale of this crisis demands. What we're seeing across the European Union gambling landscape is a worrying regulatory imbalance. Authorities continue to focus heavily on legal gambling operations, introducing increasingly stringent regulations that licensed operators dutifully implement. However, this approach inadvertently creates significant competitive disadvantages compared to illegal operators.
Te consequences are particularly worrying. As legal gambling products become more restricted, they potentially become less attractive to consumers, who then migrate to unregulated alternatives with much fewer or no restrictions at all. Tis creates a dangerous cycle: tighter regulation of legal operators drives more players to illegal sites, which remain largely untouched by enforcement action.
Despite limited progress, the European Casino Association remains committed to highlighting these critical issues to policymakers and regulators and to take our responsibility in this matter. We must shift the focus to meaningful enforcement against illegal operators. Do not get me wrong we are favourable towards regulating our sector, as long as these regulations are fair, executable and truly protect the customer. Breaking this vicious circle requires an urgent recalibration of regulatory priorities to ensure consumer protection while maintaining the competitiveness of legal, compliant gambling operations that contribute to our economies and communities.
Bill Miller: Yes, we’re seeing meaningful momentum. More states are taking enforcement action – issuing cease-and- desist letters, expanding investigations, and holding bad actors accountable. But this requires sustained focus and a willingness to take on the illegal market head-on. We're committed to keeping the spotlight on the issue and pressing for more action. As one example of this work, we are engaged with leaders in the U.S. Congress to work with federal branch
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