European gambling market generates record revenue in 2024

The latest “International Casino Comparison Report 2024” from CasinoVergelijker.net reveals key trends and statistics driving the European gambling industry, highlighting how both national and international markets are responding to regulatory shifts, market expansion, and changes in consumer behaviour.

Impressive revenue growth in European gambling

In 2023, the global industry was valued between €247 billion and €505 billion, according to varying estimates. Europe, meanwhile, has firmly established itself as a leading region, with online gambling contributing a significant share of the continent’s total gambling revenue. According to the report, the European gambling industry generated a total revenue of €108.5 billion in 2022, with projections for 2023 and 2024 showing continued growth, driven by both online and land-based sectors.  The report notes that, in Europe, markets such as the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany lead in overall gambling revenues, closely followed by France and Spain. When it comes to the global online market, in 2023, the largest economies were the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and France. In 2023, the GGR of the Dutch online gambling market reached €1.39 billion. Looking forward, the report suggests that 2024 and 2025 will be pivotal years for European gambling as both technology and legislation evolve. emphasises that while established markets like the UK and Germany continue to perform well, emerging markets and newly regulated sectors will drive the next wave of expansion across the continent.

European online players

CasinoVergelijker estimates that approximately 176 million players worldwide engaged in online gambling in 2023. It is estimated that around 26 percent of the world population has engaged in gambling at some point in their lives.  In comparison, in France, approximately 27 million adults participated in gambling or lottery games in 2023, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year. In the Netherlands, estimates from 2021 suggest that between 8.4 and 8.9 million people, or over half of the adult population, gambled. In Germany, a 2023 report indicated that 30 percent of the population aged 16 to 70 gambled at least once in 2021. In the UK, around 23.6 million people, or 40 percent of adults, participated in gambling in 2022. The report also provides regional insights, revealing that online casino games, including slot machines and live dealer games, generated almost half of the total online gambling revenue in Europe. Meanwhile, the popularity of sports betting is on the rise. Lotteries also make up a considerable portion of Europe’s gambling income, though their market share is smaller compared to online casinos and sports betting.

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