European gambling market: Online gaming gains further market share

In 2024, gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the European gambling market increased by 5 percent to €123.4 billion compared to the previous year. The share of online gambling in total European gambling revenue rose to approximately 40 percent in 2024. This is according to the latest market report published by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) in collaboration with H2 Gambling Capital. Further growth is forecast for online gambling in 2025.

Online Gambling Market Share Grows to 39 Percent

According to the report, revenues from online gambling rose to €47.9 billion in 2024. Land-based gambling grew to €75.5 billion. While revenues from land-based gambling increased in absolute terms, their market share fell from 63 percent to 61 percent. Online gambling saw an increase in market share from 37 to 39 percent. According to the EGBA, this reflects changing consumer preferences. Mobile devices dominated the online gambling landscape, generating 58 percent of online revenues in 2024, compared to 56 percent in 2023.

Differences in Product Segments

Based on the report, the EGBA points to significant differences in product usage between online casinos and land-based gambling in 2024. Lotteries, with a turnover of €38 billion, represented the largest product, with a strong physical presence (€30.9 billion) compared to online (€7.1 billion). Casino games (a total of €30 billion) showed the opposite pattern – predominantly online (€21.5 billion) compared to land-based (€8.5 billion). Slot machines (€24.9 billion) are, by their very nature, exclusively land-based, the report states. For sports and event betting (€20.1 billion), online activity predominates (€13.7 billion).

Germany has the fourth-largest gambling market in Europe

According to the EGBA, the report also reveals significant differences between the gambling markets of European countries. The share of online gambling in total gambling revenue varies considerably, ranging from 68.3 percent in Sweden and 68.1 percent in Finland and Denmark to just 14.2 percent in Spain. The United Kingdom remains the largest gambling market in Europe, with total revenue of €30.8 billion in 2023. It is followed by Italy with €25.5 billion, France with €17.8 billion, and Germany with €17.7 billion. Product usage in individual countries continues to be heavily influenced by local legal frameworks and player preferences. These statistics do not yet take into account all offshore and crypto casinos.

Outlook 2025 to 2029

A forecast for 2025 is also available. The European gambling market is expected to grow to €127.7 billion by 2025, representing an increase of 3.5 percent compared to 2024. Online gambling is projected to generate €51.1 billion in revenue and a market share of 40 percent this year. According to the EGBA, this is a “significant milestone.” Land-based gambling is expected to grow by only €1.1 billion to €76.6 billion. The longer-term outlook is also positive: the total market is projected to reach a volume of €149.2 billion by 2029. Online gambling is expected to grow by 6.9 percent annually to €66.8 billion in 2029. And the forecast for the land-based sector is for growth of 1.8 percent to €82.4 billion.

Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the EGBA, explains: “While land-based gambling still dominates and continues to grow in absolute numbers, online channels are showing stronger momentum, driven by changing consumer preferences and technological advances. Online gambling is expected to approach parity with land-based gambling by 2029.”