Online Gambling Sector in Europe Contributes Significantly, Accounting for 40% of Overall Market Share
Going, Going, Gaming Online! The European Gambling Industry Unveils a Digital Future
Get ready to roll the dice, because the European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA) has teamed up with H2 Gambling Capital to bring you the lowdown on the European online gaming market's meteoric rise.
The EGBA Paints a Picture of an Online Gambling-Dominated Europe
The latest report, dubbed the "European Gambling Market - Key Figures 2025 Edition," has some jaw-dropping stats about the pan-European market, encompassing the EU-27 and UK gambling markets. This report sheds light on recent results and outlines future trends.
You won't believe your eyes when you see that the European gambling market clocked in at a staggering €123.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2024, already up 5% from the preceding year.
One clear change in 2024 is the continued explosive growth in online gaming revenue, which hit an astounding €47.9 billion last year. In comparison, land-based gambling revenue still reigns supreme with €75.5 billion, but online gambling's market share has skyrocketed to 40% in 2024 from 37% in 2023.
Maarten Haijer, EGBA Secretary General, touched upon these intriguing trends. Haijer admitted that the land-based market remains rock-solid, but stated that online gambling is exhibiting a more potent overall momentum.
"Savvy gamblers are jumping headfirst into online casinos, leading to a significant upward trend in online gambling. We foresee online gaming surpassing the 40-percentile market share milestone and eventually reaching parity with land-based gambling by 2029," Haijer shared.
Meanwhile, the land-based market share slipped from 63% to 61%, even as consolidations managed to keep revenue robust and maintain a robust appetite for in-person gambling, as per the report.
Lottery, the Game of Kings, Stays on Top
Lottery was still the reigning champ in 2024, raking in an impressive €38 billion. Out of that whopping amount, €30.9 billion was generated from brick-and-mortar stores, while the remaining €7.1 billion came from online operations.
Casino games trailed closely behind with a cool €30 billion, generating €21.5 billion from online gambling and €8.5 billion from land-based casinos.
Gaming machines came in third with a revenue of €24.9 billion, all from good ol' fashioned land-based enterprises. Last but certainly not least was sports and events betting, contributing €20.1 billion to the total, with a majority of bets placed online and accounting for €13.7 billion.
Fun fact: The report estimates that the European gambling market will continue its rapid growth in 2025, with an expected total GGR of €127.7 billion, a 3.5% increase. Online gambling is expected to reach €51.1 billion and surpass the 40-percentile market share milestone.
As for land-based GGR, the report projects it to hit €76.6 billion during the year. Moving forward, the European gambling market is expected to be worth a mind-boggling €149.2 billion by 2029, with online gambling set to account for €66.8 billion of that amount.
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Pro tip: Bet big, play harder, and ride the digital gambling wave that's sweeping across Europe. With online gambling busting through the 40% market share barrier and land-based revenue projected to skyrocket, the future of the European gambling market is looking bright, indeed!
- Maarten Haijer, the EGBA Secretary General, predicted that online gaming will surpass the 40-percentile market share milestone and eventually reach parity with land-based gambling by 2029, due to the significant upward trend in online gambling.
- The latest report, "European Gambling Market - Key Figures 2025 Edition," revealed that online gambling revenue skyrocketed to €47.9 billion in 2024, accounting for 40% of the European gambling market's €123.4 billion in gross gaming revenue.
- The report also projected that online gambling revenue will continue to grow, reaching €51.1 billion in 2025, while the land-based market share slipped from 63% to 61%.
- Moving forward, the European gambling market is expected to be worth a mind-boggling €149.2 billion by 2029, with online gambling set to account for €66.8 billion of that amount, according to the "European Gambling Market - Key Figures 2025 Edition."
- The report further revealed that sports and events betting, with a majority of bets placed online, contributed €13.7 billion to the total European gambling market in 2024, and this segment is expected to grow as technology continues to advance in the online gaming and sports betting sectors.
