Euromat has called for a European task force to coordinate action against unlicensed online gambling. The trade group's proposal follows commissioned research estimating that illegal operators generated €12 billion in net revenue across Europe in 2025.
The estimate is three times the equivalent 2019 figure and represents about 25% of the European online gambling sector, according to the study. Regulus Partners and digital research consultancy Helios analysed 28 markets using web traffic, digital marketing, macroeconomic and country-level regulatory data. Because illegal activity is not directly reported, the €12 billion figure is a modelled estimate rather than an audited total.
Euromat wants national authorities, European institutions and law-enforcement bodies to share intelligence and coordinate enforcement. The federation argues that fragmented national action cannot keep pace with operators that market across borders, use affiliates and accept cryptocurrency.
Earlier coverage of the underlying research says the analysis covered the EU27 except Malta and Luxembourg, with the United Kingdom, Serbia and Montenegro added. The researchers linked black-market growth to a combination of consumer friction, restricted choice, state monopolies, pricing differences and regulatory intervention, while Euromat used the findings to press for a shared enforcement response.
