The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) presented its assessment of illegal igaming activity in Europe on 26 March 2026, according to reports. It put the sector’s annual gross gaming revenue at €18bn and said fraudsters often impersonate licensed operators to deceive players.
The estimate gives regulators and licensed operators a measure of the illegal sector EGBA says targets European players.
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The European Commission reportedly estimates that a potential EU gambling levy could raise €13.3bn. The proposed tax could generate €1.9bn annually from 2028 to 2034, while Malta and the EGBA oppose it.
CEN is expected to publish a European standard on markers of gambling harm this year, following a majority vote by national standardisation bodies in September. Its use will be gradual and voluntary, with national regulators deciding whether to incorporate it into licensing and supervision. Industry participants cited differences in national rules and data-protection requirements as compliance challenges.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets called on member states to consider an EU-level tax on online gambling in its opinion on the 2028–2034 financial framework. EGBA opposed the idea, saying the sector is not harmonised and that the vote is a preliminary, conditional call rather than a formal proposal; it also said new EU own resources would require unanimous approval by all 27 member states.
The EGBA warned that a proposed EU-wide online gambling levy could benefit unlicensed operators and reduce Member State tax income. The European Parliament’s Budget Committee included the idea in its opinion on the 2028–2034 budget, but the EGBA said the committee vote was not a formal proposal or decision.
The European Gaming and Betting Association said a possible EU online gambling tax in the 2028–2034 budget framework could benefit illegal operators. The European Parliament's Budget Committee vote referred to considering the idea, not adopting a tax; a final decision on new EU own resources would require unanimous approval by the 27 member states. Parliament was expected to vote on the opinion in late April.