The gambling industry in EU Member States is strong and vibrant and faces little competition by non-EU providers
In Europe, gross gambling revenue accounts for half a percent of GDP and is the highest in countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, and Spain. The total gross gambling revenue of online gaming platforms is estimated at around 24.7 billion EUR in 2020, with 14.3 billion EUR in Great Britain alone. Revenue mostly comes from lottery, online casinos, and sports betting.
Industry Overview
With new technologies being constantly introduced, players can now access games at any time and from any place in the world. They can play their favorite games like blackjack, video poker, roulette, and togel online. This is one reason why the online gaming sector in Europe is steadily growing by 10 percent a year, which is faster than bookmaker shops, casinos, and other land-based gambling operations. The gross gambling revenue of EU Member States is expected to increase to €29.3 billion, up from €22.2 billion.
The online gambling sector had a share of slightly over 23 percent while land operations accounted for close to 77 percent in 2018. Due to new regulations adopted by EU countries, the share of the online sector is constantly growing.
EU Compared to Global Online Gambling
EU Member States account for 49.2 percent of global online gambling compared to 27.8 percent for Asia and the Middle East. North America has a share of 11.2 percent and rest of Europe has just 4 percent. Oceania accounts for 5.2 percent and the Caribbean and Latin America for 1.3 percent. Africa comes last with just 1.1 percent. As figures show, EU has a more competitive online gambling sector compared to the rest of the world. As sports betting is being legalized across the US, some EU companies have already entered the US market to get a foothold. Not only are they bringing expertise and knowhow to new markets but the online gambling sector in the US is becoming more competitive.
Popular Forms of Gambling in Europe
The most popular type of online gambling is sports betting, accounting for 42.5 percent of GGR. Casino games make for 32.4 percent, followed by lottery with 12.6 percent, poker with 5 percent, and bingo with 4.3 percent. Other games account for just 3.2 percent.
Role of New Technologies and Social Media
The growth of the online sector can be explained with the introduction of new technologies, mobile gambling, and the fact that more and more casinos use social networking media apps. This allows gamblers to invite other players and to join online competitions such as poker, blackjack, and slots tournaments. Some platforms even allow customers to use their own avatars. According to experts, the integration of social media into online gambling has a key role to play in the growth of the casino industry in Europe.
