European gambling sector paid billions in taxes in 2024, says EGBA
In its latest Sustainability Report 2025, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) revealed that its members, who represent approximately 30% of Europe’s 2024 online gambling gross gaming revenue, contributed €3.8 billion in taxes to European economies in 2024. The full report covers the operations of EGBA members in the EU and UK. The data is based on individual submissions from licensed operator members.
“This year’s report shows our members are not only positive contributors to Europe’s economy but also setting industry benchmarks for safer gambling,” commented Maarten Haijer, EGBA’s Secretary General.
Tax contributions
The €3.8 billion in taxes fed directly into national budgets, funding “public services and community initiatives,” . On top of that, €735 million was channelled into European sports through sponsorships, fees, and streaming rights, the latter accounting for 62% of that total.
Additionally, €156.8 million was donated to charities and community projects in 2024, a 4% increase from the previous year. The companies also made investments in combating gambling harm: €148.9 million went toward research, education, and treatment (RET) services, bringing the five-year total to €290 million.
“Our members are showing that leadership in our industry is about more than commercial success – it’s about protecting players, supporting communities, and investing in Europe’s future,” Haijer added.
Prevention works
The industry’s growing emphasis on player welfare was also reflected in data on the usage of safer gambling tools. In 2024, 69% of customers (26.7 million players) used such tools, with half doing so voluntarily, a 28% year-on-year increase.
Deposit limits were the most widely adopted feature, used by 65% of players who opted in of their own accord.
EGBA’s report also revealed the impact of personalised safety messages, which were delivered to players based on their individual gambling behaviours. 100 million safety messages were sent across Europe in 2024, up 48% from the previous year, with 28% of those messages tailored to individual behaviour.
According to the report, 42–46% of high-risk customers responded positively to these personalised alerts, either “improving their play or maintaining stable patterns.” Additionally, 21% of these customers activated or strengthened safety tools following such messages.
“We’re especially encouraged by the success of personalised safety messages, which our report shows to be positively impacting between 42% to 46% of customers showing high-risk behaviours,” Haijer said. “That’s genuinely meaningful progress that builds trust and helps raise standards across the wider industry.”
Regulatory pressure and black market warnings
Despite the achievements, EGBA is sounding the alarm over what it sees as gaps in policy support and enforcement, particularly against unregulated operators based outside Europe.
“Sustaining these achievements requires stable and supportive regulatory frameworks,” argued Haijer, “and stronger enforcement against black market operators based outside Europe, who threaten the safety of European citizens and contribute nothing to our societies.”
“The regulated industry makes substantial investments, but we need a longer-term policy vision in some national markets,” he warned.
Industry profile: who are the players?
The report aggregates data from EGBA’s members, who collectively serve over 38.6 million customer accounts, a 19% rise from 2023. Three-quarters of customers were male, while 25% were female, down from 28% the year before.
In terms of employment, EGBA members counted 62,698 employees across land-based and online operations, with a near 57/43 gender split. 89% of all employees received training in safer gambling practices, up from 80% in 2023.
The environmental footprint of the industry also saw a decline, with total energy use down by 11% and 78% of energy sourced from renewables, an increase from 64% the previous year.
“Through their shared commitment to sustainability, our members continue to demonstrate that safer gambling and business success go hand in hand,” the association concluded.
