The European Casino Association (ECA) has become the latest organisation to call for stronger cross-border enforcement against illegal online gambling after revealing that the black market targeting EU consumers reached an estimated €91.6bn in 2025.
The figure is up around 14% year-on-year and was presented for the first time during a high-level roundtable in the European Parliament.
It replaces the previous 2024 estimate of €80bn that had originally been used in the meeting’s title and means illegal operators deprived EU member states of an estimated €22.9bn in tax revenue during 2025.
Hosted by Member of European Parliament Lukas Mandl, the roundtable brought together representatives from many industry stakeholders including:
- The European Commission
- The Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA)
- Eurojust
- The Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol (JSPG)
- National gambling regulators
ECA: over 6,000 black market operators active
The ECA report estimates that more than 6,200 illegal gambling operators are actively targeting EU consumers and claims that unlicensed businesses now account for the majority of online gambling revenue across the EU-27.
“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,” said ECA Chair, Erwin van Lambaart.
“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.
“This is why we need 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.”
The discussion comes shortly after the European Commission proposed reforms to Europol’s mandate, with participants highlighting the agency’s role in tackling cross-border illegal gambling operations.
Mandl described illegal online gambling as ‘a serious cross-border threat’ affecting consumer protection, organised crime and the integrity of the EU’s internal market.
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