Europe’s gambling sector is facing strong pressure from unlicensed operators, according to new data from Yield Sec. The study shows how illegal online gambling has expanded its hold on EU27 markets throughout 2024. The findings highlight revenue losses, tax gaps and how many consumers now interact with unlawful sites.

• Illegal gambling revenue reached EUR 80.6bn in 2024, compared with EUR 33.6bn from legal operators, creating a combined EUR 114.3bn online GGR market. Yield Sec calculates that this gives illegal operators 71% market share across EU27. The research also shows a 26% year-on-year rise in unlicensed operators.

• A total of 6,220 illegal operators targeted EU consumers in 2024, up from 4,921 in 2023. Many of these operators run multiple mirrors and redirects, sometimes amounting to dozens of duplicate access points. The report states that “if you don’t understand illegal online gambling, you don’t understand the total marketplace.”

• Governments missed an estimated EUR 20bn in tax revenue in 2024, compared with EUR 8.4bn collected from legal activities. Yield Sec applies an average 25% GGR tax across EU27 to model this loss. Using the report’s exchange rate, the tax gap equals USD 21.8bn.

• Audience exposure data shows 92% of online gambling content seen by consumers promotes illegal operators, while just 8% highlights licensed brands. Yield Sec analysed traffic from 118 million Europeans who engaged with gambling content during 2024. The report uses eight digital environments including search, ads and apps to measure exposure.

• Of those 118 million users, 81 million interacted directly with illegal platforms offering no KYC checks, consumer safeguards or dispute processes. The findings show heightened risks for underage audiences and self-excluded users, who often face 0 accessible legal options online. Yield Sec warns that exposure metrics indicate where future GGR flows may move if enforcement does not improve.

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