The Evolving Landscape of European Gambling: Key Figures for 2025

Published on 24h March, “European Gambling Market – Key Figures 2025 Edition” covers all European Union member states, as well as the UK. The report includes analysis of provisional data for both the online and land-based gambling markets during 2024.

Growth was evident across both online and land-based gambling activities, with online gambling experiencing the steepest increase in gross gaming revenue (GGR). In total, provisional online GGR climbed 11.7% year-on-year to €47.9 billion, representing 39% of the total GGR for the year. Gaming accounted for €24.6 billion of this total, with €23.2 billion attributed to casino-type games, including slots. Online casino games drew 45% of all internet gambling GGR during 2024. Additionally, online betting revenue reached €16.2 billion, of which €13.7 billion, or 29% of all online GGR, came from sports and events betting. Internet lottery contributed the remaining €7.1 billion in online GGR. Notably, 58% of online GGR was generated through mobile gambling, while 42% came from desktop. European Gambling

Turning to the land-based market, revenue showed a modest increase of 1.3%, amounting to €75.5 billion. This indicates that despite the surge in online gambling, land-based gambling remains the main source, accounting for 61% of GGR in Europe. Similar to the online environment, gaming emerged as the most popular form of land-based activity, though not to the same degree. Land-based gaming GGR reached €35 billion, slightly lower than the previous year. Gaming machines generated €24.9 billion of this figure, while casinos accounted for €8.5 billion, and bingo contributed €1.6 billion. Interestingly, the lottery led overall land-based revenue with €30.9 billion in GGR, representing 41% of total land-based revenue, followed closely by gaming machines at 33% and casinos at 11%. Betting also made a significant contribution of €9.6 billion, split into €6.4 billion from sports and events betting and €3.2 billion from horse racing.

According to the analysis by EGBA and H2, these breakdowns reveal “distinct” differences in product types across the online and land-based markets. While lottery was the leader in land-based gambling, it ranked only third in the online sector. In contrast, casino games were the most popular form of online gambling, while placing third in the land-based segment. Sports and events betting were much more favored online than in retail settings, whereas betting on racing saw greater popularity in physical betting shops rather than over the internet. Bingo was evenly split between the two markets, while poker was exclusively online, with gaming machines restricted to land-based venues.

Geographically, the report indicates that the UK leads in total GGR. It presented performance statistics for European markets in 2023, as 2024 figures remain provisional and subject to revision. In 2023, the UK achieved a GGR of €30.8 billion, followed by Italy with €25.5 billion, France at €17.8 billion, and Germany at €17.7 billion. The UK also maintained a significant lead in online gambling, with GGR for this segment surpassing €11.1 billion, compared to Italy’s €4.6 billion and France’s €3.8 billion. In terms of land-based performance, Italy narrowly surpassed the UK for the highest revenue in 2023, with Germany and France close behind for third place, followed by Spain in fifth. Gambling

The report also includes a detailed breakdown of online gambling by country, noting that casino games dominate in several regions, accounting for over 60% of all online revenue in places such as Malta, Estonia, and Latvia. It notes, “The relative strength of betting and casino products is heavily influenced by local regulatory frameworks and player preferences.”

Looking forward, the report forecasts trends for 2025 through 2029, predicting that Europe’s gambling market will grow by 3.5% year-on-year to reach €127.7 billion in 2025. This growth is expected to be driven by an increase in online gambling GGR to €51.1 billion, positioning it to account for 40% of the total market for the first time. Land-based gambling is also anticipated to experience a modest increase. Projections suggest that by 2029, GGR for the overall market could reach €149.2 billion. At that point, online revenue is expected to constitute 45% of all GGR, with the land-based share decreasing to 55%. Online gaming is likely to be the primary driver of this growth, with GGR projected to hit €22 billion by 2029. Betting GGR is forecasted to reach €34.5 billion, while lottery is expected to amount to €10.4 billion. European Gambling

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In land-based activity, gaming is expected to maintain its leading position, potentially reaching €38.3 billion by 2029, while lottery is projected to reach €33.5 billion and betting will amount to €10.5 billion. “Europe’s gambling market showed steady growth in 2024,” remarked EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer. He added, “While land-based gambling remains dominant and continues to grow in absolute terms, online channels are showing stronger momentum, driven by changing consumer preferences and technological advancement. Looking ahead to 2025, we expect online gambling to cross the significant 40% market share milestone, with this trend projected to continue in the coming years as online gambling is expected to approach parity with land-based gambling by 2029.” European Gambling