【Willbet Casino - Your Ultimate Online Gambling Hub】EGBA’s annual report shows record 65% of customers using RG tools

The trade association’s report outlines progress in responsible gambling, anti-money laundering efforts, membership growth, and market trends.

A notable highlight of the report is the success of the fourth annual European Safer Gambling Week, which expanded its reach to a record 26 countries and involved 195 participating stakeholders.

The campaign reached an estimated 3 million individuals with targeted messaging on safe gambling practices.

This initiative continues to be a central part of the EGBA’s commitment to fostering a safer gambling environment across the continent.

The report also underscores a significant uptake in the use of safer gambling tools. In 2024, a record 65% of customers — equating to 21 million individuals — used at least one safer gambling tool.

Additionally, more than 67 million messages were sent to players to promote safe and sustainable gambling habits, demonstrating the growing integration of responsible gambling features among operators and their customers.

To support a more responsible advertising environment, in 2024 the EGBA also carried out its second pan-European monitoring exercise of its responsible advertising code.

This round of monitoring placed particular emphasis on the protection of minors, an area that remains a top priority for the association and its members.

In the area of anti-money laundering (AML), the EGBA organised targeted workshops designed to equip stakeholders with knowledge about the European Union’s new AML framework.

These initiatives aim to strengthen industry resilience and compliance in line with evolving EU regulations.

The association’s influence and representation within the sector continued to grow, with the addition of multiple new members in 2024.

Superbet Group, LeoVegas Group, and Sumsub joined the EGBA during the period, broadening the association’s footprint.

iGaming segment continues to grow

The report also provides a detailed look at the European online gambling market through data contributed by EGBA’s members.

In 2024, members collectively held 321 licences across 21 European countries, underlining their extensive legal presence across the region.

EGBA members generated a combined gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €13.5bn in 2024, marking a 15% increase from the previous year.

This figure accounts for roughly 30% of the total online GGR across Europe. The increase was driven primarily by strong growth in casino games, which contributed €7bn and represented 51% of total GGR.

Sports betting followed with €5.5bn (41% of GGR), while other products such as poker, bingo, eSports, and virtual betting made up the remaining 8%.

Casino games saw a 22% year-on-year revenue increase, while sports betting grew by 15%. Bingo and other gambling products rose by 19%, while eSports betting revenue increased by 16%.

Poker was the only product segment to report a decline, with revenue falling by 5%.

Within sports betting, pre-match betting continued to dominate the figures, accounting for 63% of segment revenue compared to 37% from in-play betting.

This split highlights ongoing player preferences for traditional betting formats, despite the increasing popularity of real-time wagering.

The operational scale of EGBA members also expanded. A total of 177.7 billion individual stakes were processed in 2024, a 31% year-on-year increase.

The total value of stakes reached €215.6bn, reflecting an 11% increase. However, the average stake value dropped by 14%, landing at €1.20. This shift may indicate a trend toward higher volumes of lower-value bets among players.

EGBA member customer winnings also increased significantly over the period. Players received €202.1bn in winnings during 2024, corresponding to an average return-to-player (RTP) rate of 93.7%.

This aligns with the industry’s emphasis on maintaining fair play standards and competitive payout ratios.

Europe-wide regulations still on the table

The report also situates EGBA’s work within a broader regulatory transformation across Europe.

With Finland nearing the completion of its transition from a state-run monopoly to a multi-licensing system, every EU member state is now expected to operate under a competitive licensing framework for online gambling.

This milestone represents a significant shift in Europe’s regulatory approach, evolving over the past 15 years from monopolistic models to open, regulated markets that aim to enhance consumer protection and market integrity.

EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer emphasised the importance of this development, noting that the shift validates the association’s long-held view that well-regulated, competitive markets offer the best consumer protections.