25% of Europe's online gambling market is already illegal?

[Hyphen(-)]

People still trust illegal casinos, not literally illegal but casinos licensed somewhere else, because their withdrawal process is usually easier, not too many KYC requirements just like some popular casinos here in the forum.

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

What are your thoughts on this?

Non-KYC casino platforms are what people really want to be using, we don’t have to submit our personal details everywhere just to gamble, and that has been working because our privacy is protected and we are having our services delivered without much problem. No withdrawal complications due to KYC and no government regulations as well.

About government collecting taxes from our wins, it’s ok to pay tax, but the same government cannot be responsible if we lose money to gambling, and some government in other countries are even attempting to ban the use of casino in their countries; it’s all about us being responsible for what we are doing, therefore, it is better to use the non-KYC casinos than to use the one we will submit our info and still pay tax.

[Africolo]

This is surprising because its quite big, and we are talking about €12 billion in 2025. That was already in 2025 so probably it has already increased now.. but lets just look at that 25% number and try to analyze what could be the reason.

Heres what I think.

People still trust illegal casinos, not literally illegal but casinos licensed somewhere else, because their withdrawal process is usually easier, not too many KYC requirements just like some popular casinos here in the forum.

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

What are your thoughts on this?


source https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2026/09/16/214175/europe-illegal-online-gambling-market-12bn-euromat-study/

I think this is where the law is supposed to take it's proper enforcement on casinos that has refused to go through the main process and are boycotting in other to dodge from paying taxes and the government needs to penalized such platforms if found guilty because the government cannot give full support for gambling and at the end of the end the millions nor billions they were supposed to realize as taxes won't be received and they keep loosing money depending on the tax they imposed on them, licenced casinos should be able to comply to the government regulations.

Though it's very common amongst gamblers who prefers playing casinos where there's less KYC registration or no KYCs registration at all because they feel it won't give them issues during withdrawal whenever they win a huge amount on the platform and they keep using other casinos elsewhere to avoid paying tax on their wins.

[Leahized]

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

It is not possible for the government to control which casinos an individual will use. Therefore, the average person will never consider this aspect. Even in the case of non-casino usage, gamblers have their own preferences. When a gambler's source of income is illegal, they use illegal casinos. But this is not one hundred percent certain because illegal casino features are much more and are presented easily. Moreover, legal casinos may not be able to attract gamblers. Because they are bound by hundreds of conditions through the government.

However, I do not think that the government will be able to completely eliminate illegal casinos. And they will be able to collect a large amount of tax through gamblers. Perhaps this is why today gamblers are being drawn towards illegal casinos.

[Luzin]

What are your thoughts on this?

I don't know the exact data, but I once read that European jurisdictions do not impose strict rules on each country regarding gambling. This means each country is free to determine the rules they want. But in most cases, it is divided into 3 categories: legalizing with an open licensing system, as well as those implementing partial bans or state monopolies.

Regarding the situation you mentioned, from the user's perspective, they obviously do not want their gambling earnings to be reduced by taxes, so they choose illegal casinos, even though there is a greater risk. Because they understand that their taxes are not always used efficiently by the state. But for those who have a license, they actually have security guarantees regarding their assets in the casino, but they must comply with paying taxes. Both have drawbacks, and every user should understand the risks they might face. If it were me, I would choose a licensed casino, with the risk of taxes.

Source: https://rue.ee/gambling-regulations-in-europe/

[Coyster]

Non-KYC casino platforms are what people really want to be using, we don’t have to submit our personal details everywhere just to gamble,

Gambling is regulated in most jurisdictions, so you are not going to be able to find NO-KYC casinos, such platforms would be identified as illegal and even if there are a few of them, they'd be operating in the periphery. Like i have also said a couple of times already, the fact that a casino advertises itself as NO-KYC doesn make it true in all situations, many of them could still ask their customers for identity verification, which then defeats the purpose the person used them in the first place.

[hedgeh0g]

Gambling is regulated in most jurisdictions, so you are not going to be able to find NO-KYC casinos, such platforms would be identified as illegal and even if there are a few of them, they'd be operating in the periphery. Like i have also said a couple of times already, the fact that a casino advertises itself as NO-KYC doesn make it true in all situations, many of them could still ask their customers for identity verification, which then defeats the purpose the person used them in the first place.

I believe European regulators are simply keeping the situation under control or aiming to completely eliminate non-KYC gaming platforms those operating in the shadows or refusing to disclose customer data. Their stance is understandable, given the risks associated with concealed income and money laundering. In any case, the number of such platforms will dwindle until they are entirely eliminated it is only a matter of time. They likely made this decision long ago, and most non-KYC operators will probably relocate to other countries.

[retreat]

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

What are your thoughts on this?

Considering that 25% amount, it's clear that the government is losing a significant amount of tax from those activities. However, they can't really tighten their rules on casinos that aren't under their jurisdiction. The most they can do is block access to those sites, but still, users can use VPNs and continue playing at those casinos without issues, especially now that more casinos support crypto payments. So there's not much the government can do in this case other than block access to these sites and direct their people to play at their licensed casinos. At least they can hope that more people will play at legal casinos and they can earn more tax revenue.

[johnpark3852]

Hmm, wouldn't it be better to just legalize all of it and switch to a registration system instead?

[Yorubek]

I think the trend toward illegal casinos gaining ground will only intensify over time. Users generally don't care whether they play at a legal or illegal casino. If a casino is illegal, that doesn't mean they're scammers. And generally, if a person trusts an illegal casino, and the casino itself justifies that trust, why should we deprive ourselves of the pleasure? Ultimately, I believe most casinos will become illegal, just as Bitcoin was briefly considered an "illegal" asset.

Using an illegal gambling site can be quite dangerous not because the casino is actually a scam but because they are not licensed, if anything goes wrong in the long run there is no way gamblers can come out to sue them because they aren't legal to begin with. This .eans that using such casinos would always be at the risk at the risk of the players. Users don't really if a casino is lega or illegal as lomg as it meets their needs, they don't really have a problem with it but it is always advisable to make use of casinos that are legal.

Gamblers are always at risk by gambling in illegal casinos, gamblers can be scam at any time because the casino does not have a valid license and is not accountable to anyone, as a result of which an illegal casino can make its own rules and break them and scam very easily. It is true that whether a casino is legal or illegal is not the main issue for gamblers, as long as the casino meets the needs of the gamblers, gamblers do not think much about this issue. When choosing a casino, it is very important to choose a licensed casino, which can protect the gambler from scam.

[KiaKia]

This is surprising because its quite big, and we are talking about €12 billion in 2025. That was already in 2025 so probably it has already increased now.. but lets just look at that 25% number and try to analyze what could be the reason.

Heres what I think.

People still trust illegal casinos, not literally illegal but casinos licensed somewhere else, because their withdrawal process is usually easier, not too many KYC requirements just like some popular casinos here in the forum.

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

What are your thoughts on this?


source https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2026/09/16/214175/europe-illegal-online-gambling-market-12bn-euromat-study/

What's there to talk about again? If illegal or unlicensed casinos can speed up withdrawals and also limit KYC verification gamblers will gladly follow them rather them licensed casinos with slow withdrawal.

Gamblers won't care because services matters when it comes to using online casinos, if illegality is offering better benefits then to hell with every legality, I am speaking on behalf of most gamblers online.

I would wish that such good casinos get licensed but I will still use them because they are what I have been hoping for from a online casino, still speaking on behalf of others but the real me? I don't care, I fear losing my penny to unlicensed casino.

[Nathrixxx]

People still trust illegal casinos, not literally illegal but casinos licensed somewhere else, because their withdrawal process is usually easier, not too many KYC requirements just like some popular casinos here in the forum.

So imagine how much the government is also losing from that 25%, because if those players are using regulated casinos then probably they could collect millions or even billions in taxes, though im not sure how much their tax rate is.

You will be expected to take your risk at your own discretion by yourself and face the consequences in gambling depending on the kind of carino make use of, this does not concern the government as long as they are able to regulate the casinos that identify with them and this only servers a benefits to revenue source because they are being taxed, if the casinos are not regulated then the government are not going to take it likely with them, while all these we have been saying does not so many issue with the challenges you may face with any casino.

[Jaycoinz]

The growth of illegal online gambling is a serious issue. Many players choose unlicensed platforms because of bonuses and fewer restrictions, but they often have no real protection if something goes wrong. Clear regulations and reliable licensing are important for both players and the industry.

That's true, not all unlicensed casinos are a scam but some of them are and they can use bonuses as a a way to attract gamblers. Illegal casinos are not regulated which makes them actually dangerous to make use of. choosing an unlicensed platform just because of the benefits is something that those who are not enlightened about gambling should be doing, for those that understand how different site operates this is something that they don't joke with or ignore.

[Josefjix]

Hmm, wouldn't it be better to just legalize all of it and switch to a registration system instead?

Not every user wants to be using a centralized platforms for gambling, there are many who values platform without data verification, just connecting wallet and good to go is what they love, I have seen many users who are privacy based lovers, even though they aren't criminals, keeping their data private gives them a good feeling.

[danherbias07]

Non-KYC casino platforms are what people really want to be using, we don’t have to submit our personal details everywhere just to gamble,

Gambling is regulated in most jurisdictions, so you are not going to be able to find NO-KYC casinos, such platforms would be identified as illegal and even if there are a few of them, they'd be operating in the periphery. Like i have also said a couple of times already, the fact that a casino advertises itself as NO-KYC doesn make it true in all situations, many of them could still ask their customers for identity verification, which then defeats the purpose the person used them in the first place.

Correct. Even just a simple phone number can actually become the full KYC of a gambler. Like here in our country, most phone numbers are registered with the owner's information, and with just that, your phone will know if the one who is calling is registered or not. It will notify you as possible spam if they are texting or calling because those numbers are unregistered.

So, even if an online casino, especially the local ones, is just asking for a phone number to register, that also takes away the no-KYC deal. And to make it worse, what you deal with here is spam from many online casinos with different names that will text you too because they are like sisters who will gossip about your phone number, and they will all advertise their promotions and bonuses.

[Outhue]

Non-KYC casino platforms are what people really want to be using, we don’t have to submit our personal details everywhere just to gamble,

Gambling is regulated in most jurisdictions, so you are not going to be able to find NO-KYC casinos, such platforms would be identified as illegal and even if there are a few of them, they'd be operating in the periphery. Like i have also said a couple of times already, the fact that a casino advertises itself as NO-KYC doesn make it true in all situations, many of them could still ask their customers for identity verification, which then defeats the purpose the person used them in the first place.

This is true, many casinos that are advertising as no KYC are not real, they are hiding the fact that they can ask you for KYC at any time, let's says you and I are using the same online casino, if the casino ask me to pass KYC you won't even know because you don't know me and I don't know you, and for the fact that KYC verification are mostly asked after you won meaningful money says it all lol.

[DubemIfedigbo001]

So this is what regulators should probably look at if they block or ban gambling completely it could become much worse.

AFAIK, gambling is already regulated there, but based on what we are seeing around 25% still goes to unlicensed casinos or illegal casinos as they call it. So of course as a country or regulator you would want to reduce that because that is already a big part of the market outside your control. But with today's technology its really hard to control everything. VPN is easy to use and usually there are overseas casinos that will still allow people to gamble with less KYC or sometimes no KYC at all, so as long as there are operators willing to accept those players its really hard to stop them completely.

Its time government try to reduce their KYC policies and become softer on regulations, this is only the beginning, as time goes on more people would naturally want to trust offshore casinos with softer regulations. Tighter regulations always opens doors for unlicensed operators who gives better offers. It's 25% now, in the nearest future it would be 30, 40 and so on. The worst mistake the government would make is to totally ban gambling, it would take the percentage for such country to 100% for offshore casinos. I think offshore casinos benefit more from countries that gambling are totally banned since they don't pay taxes to the government, they're aware people are gambling from there and are quick to confiscate the accounts of those gambling from there when they attempt withdrawing, knowing fully well they would only open a new account and continue gambling instead of quitting.

[Muba20]

Hmm, wouldn't it be better to just legalize all of it and switch to a registration system instead?

Not every user wants to be using a centralized platforms for gambling, there are many who values platform without data verification, just connecting wallet and good to go is what they love, I have seen many users who are privacy based lovers, even though they aren't criminals, keeping their data private gives them a good feeling.

Yes, it is only to protect this privacy that people are so attracted to crypto gambling. People do not like fiat gambling, where the identity of the gambler is not secure. Although it is not the case that someone's identity is revealed as soon as they do fiat gambling, but people cannot be satisfied with their privacy on those platforms. And to stay safe from that situation, crypto gambling has emerged. There is also a risk here, but a gambler feels completely safe. There are many gamblers who prefer to remain anonymous even though they do not commit a crime. We have seen many who are against gambling in real life, but they gamble anonymously. So they think that they want to do it on a platform where their identity is not revealed. They themselves do not do anything wrong but they need privacy.

[Fortify]

This is surprising because its quite big, and we are talking about €12 billion in 2025. That was already in 2025 so probably it has already increased now.. but lets just look at that 25% number and try to analyze what could be the reason.

What are your thoughts on this?

The article seems to suggest that it's illegal because these sites don't work with the authorities but they don't have that obligation necessarily. It's a strange definition of illegal because these sites might all be legal in their jurisdiction but if Europeans decide to use them they suddenly become "illegal". It's probably more of an attempt to raise more tax rather than any desire to help gamblers, so it's hard to judge whether we should care. Just because Europe considers them illegal doesn't mean they are scamming users or have any other bad practices going on. They use the word illegal to frame these sites as bad, but that is not necessarily the case and it's probably good that we still have some freedom on the internet instead of everything being completely locked down. Part of the reason the publish this is to apply pressure on the sites that don't cooperate but consumers don't care that much.

[ArabBTC]

Most government are keen with casino licensing and all because it makes it easier for them to get their taxes from casinos and bettors, it isn’t actually because of preventing gamblers from being scammed, though casino licensing helps regulate gambling activities. Meanwhile, not every unlicensed casino is a scam, some still operate well even without the license, just that some casino’s are trying to reduce cost of running the business that is why they sometimes don’t like doing all the necessary registrations. I feel every gambler should have at the back of their mind that gambling and life in general if a big risk, and at such should gamble with caution regardless of the casino, even licensed casino’s too use to scam people at times, some licensed casino’s too sometimes runs into huge losses and starts fluctuating, so even though casino licensing is good doesn’t mean that casino licensing completely erases the chances of being scammed by a casino.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

The article seems to suggest that it's illegal because these sites don't work with the authorities but they don't have that obligation necessarily.

It's illegal because for a casino to offer its services to players from the EU, it must obtain a licence specific to that country; if it accepts players from those countries without such a licence, it is acting illegally. That's what the law says. That is why casinos usually state in their Terms and Conditions that they do not accept players from countries with such regulations, and some even block access outright.

It's a strange definition of illegal because these sites might all be legal in their jurisdiction but if Europeans decide to use them they suddenly become "illegal".

No, it’s not unusual; a casino holding a Curaçao licence can offer its services to people in Curaçao and other countries around the world where legislation does not require a specific national licence. It cannot offer them in France, for example, or Spain; if it does, it is illegal.

It's probably more of an attempt to raise more tax rather than any desire to help gamblers <...>

That's for sure.