The United Kingdom is planning to merge the three current taxes on online gambling into a single Remote Betting & Gaming Duty in order to simplify the tax system.
On 24 April 2025, the Ksa signed a memorandum of cooperation with 11 other Dutch regulators as part of the DSA. This initiative aims to strengthen the regulation of online platforms, with a particular focus on the fight against illegal gambling.
From 1 May 2025, Belgian players will have to verify their identity before they can deposit money or play at an online casino. This new measure, imposed by the Gaming Commission, aims to strengthen security, prevent fraud and encourage more responsible gambling.
The black market in UK gambling is growing at an alarming rate, with around £4.3 billion wagered each year on unregulated platforms. This parallel economy represents around 3% of the total gambling market and exposes 1.5 million gamblers, mainly young adults, to financial and addiction risks.
Unibet, a major online gaming operator, has seen its turnover in the Netherlands fall by 41% in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the previous year. This fall was due to tighter regulations, including a limit on monthly deposits and an increase in gaming tax to 34.2%.
The Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator, has fined an online gaming operator €734,000 for a serious breach of its duty of care, a legal obligation designed to protect players from excessive gambling. The operator allegedly allowed several vulnerable players to spend large sums of money without intervening, in clear breach of the rules in force since the sector was legalised in 2021.
An investigation in Italy has revealed an illegal betting ring involving several football players, including Ángel Di María and Weston McKennie. The players allegedly used unauthorised betting platforms to participate in illegal gambling, although their bets were not directly related to football matches.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is examining a case between a German player and Lottoland, an online gaming operator based in Malta, concerning the reimbursement of gambling losses incurred on a platform that was unauthorised in Germany at the time of the events.
Armando Izzo, a defender with Italian club Monza, was acquitted on appeal on 10 April 2025, after more than ten years of legal proceedings linked to a match-fixing case dating back to 2014. Accused of participating in the manipulation of two Serie B matches under the influence of a Neapolitan mafia clan, he was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023. The Naples Court of Appeal finally ruled that there was insufficient evidence to confirm his guilt, thereby rehabilitating a player who had always denied the facts.
Flutter Entertainment has completed the acquisition of Snaitech for €2.3 billion after obtaining all the necessary regulatory approvals. This strategic transaction strengthens Flutter’s leading position in the Italian online and physical gaming market by integrating Snaitech with its existing brands such as PokerStars and Sisal.
The ECA fully supports the European Union’s ProtectEU strategy, which aims to strengthen security against threats such as illegal gambling. This initiative includes an expanded role for Europol, better regulation of online content through the Digital Services Act, and the creation of an anti-money laundering authority. The ECA welcomes these measures, underlining the urgent need for action in the face of the scale of the illegal market and its links with organised crime.
The Netherlands is considering gradually raising the legal gambling age to better protect young adults and combat the black market. During a parliamentary session, Secretary of State Teun Struycken proposed a phased implementation to prevent players from turning to illegal platforms.
n 2024, the Netherlands raised a record €1 billion in gambling taxes, mainly thanks to the boom in online gambling since its legalisation in 2021. This rapid growth has been accompanied by a gradual increase in tax rates, reaching 34.2% this year and forecast to rise to 37.8% in 2025.
European football is increasingly dependent on sports betting for its funding, with many clubs sponsored by gambling companies. These partnerships provide vital revenue for clubs, but raise ethical concerns about the integrity of the sport and the risks of addiction, particularly among young fans.
The JOA Casino in Le Tréport, located in Seine-Maritime, has become one of the first gaming establishments in France to accept payments in cryptocurrencies. The move, made possible through a partnership with fintech LYZI, allows players to convert their cryptos into euros securely and seamlessly.
In 2024, the European gambling market reached a record 123.4 billion euros, driven by the growth of online gambling, which now accounts for 39% of the total.
Germany’s Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) has ruled that the German Gaming Regulator (GGL) cannot require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block illegal gambling sites via IP blocking, considering them to be mere technical intermediaries. This decision limits the GGL’s means of action, which will have to continue to target the hosts of these sites rather than the ISPs.
