Gambling operators contributed over €5.5bn to European society in 2025
The trade body says rising tax payments, sports funding and player protection uptake highlight the value of regulated gambling markets.
Key takeaways
- EGBA members contributed more than €5.5bn to European society during 2025 through taxes, sports investment and charitable giving.
- Tax contributions reached €4.5bn, up from €3.8bn in 2024.
- Investment in sport totalled €768m through sponsorships, levies and media rights agreements, a 5 per cent annual increase.
- A total of 16.5 million customer accounts used voluntary safer gambling tools, representing 38 per cent of all customer accounts.
- Member companies sent 29.6 million personalised safer gambling messages and invested €98.2m in research, education and treatment initiatives.
The European Gaming and Betting Association says its members contributed more than €5.5bn to European society during 2025, according to its latest sustainability report. The report highlights increases in tax payments, sports investment and charitable donations alongside growing adoption of safer gambling tools and personalised player protection measures across regulated gambling markets.
Belgium.- Members of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) contributed more than €5.5bn to European society during 2025 through taxation, sports investment and charitable giving. That’s according to the trade body’s latest sustainability report, which was released ahead of European Safer Gambling Week next week.
The Sustainability Report 2026 outlines the collective economic, social and responsible gambling initiatives undertaken by EGBA members in the EU and UK during the previous calendar year. It also tracks trends in customer protection, safer gambling measures, employment, environmental performance and wider social contributions.
According to the report, EGBA members, which comprise licensed online gambling operators in Europe, contributed €4.5bn in taxes during 2025, up from €3.8bn the previous year. The association said these payments included corporate and gaming taxes that help fund public services and community programmes throughout Europe.
Investment in sport also continued to rise. Members contributed €768m through sponsorship agreements, statutory levies and media rights payments, representing a 5 per cent increase year-on-year. More than half of that figure was linked to streaming-rights arrangements.
Charitable and community donations unrelated to gambling reached €186.6m, up 19 per cent from 2024, while the combined workforce of EGBA members grew to 66,743 employees across both online and land-based operations, an increase of 6 per cent.
The report also highlighted growing adoption of responsible gambling tools. Some 16.5 million customer accounts voluntarily used player protection measures during 2025, a 25 per cent increase compared with the previous year. That represented 38 per cent of all customer accounts, up from 34 per cent in 2024.
More than half of customers using safety tools were aged 35 or under, while deposit limits remained the most commonly selected protection measure, accounting for 61 per cent of voluntary tool usage. EGBA members also reported sending 29.6 million personalised safer gambling messages to customers, 6 per cent more than in 2024. Tailored interventions based on individual playing behaviour accounted for 31 per cent of all responsible gambling communications, compared with 28 per cent a year earlier.
Elsewhere, 85 per cent of employees received dedicated safer gambling training, while member companies contributed €98.2m towards research, education and treatment initiatives designed to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm. The association has corrected a mistake in last year’s report in which it incorrectly claimed that members had contributed €148.9m to problem gambling research, education and treatment (RET). That figure has been revised to €64.8m.
Pierre Tournier, Interim Secretary General of EGBA, said the figures demonstrate the industry’s growing contribution to European economies and communities.
“Our members are investing in Europe and protecting players,” said Tournier. “They continue to make a major contribution to European society, funding public services, sport and local communities. Their safer gambling efforts are also becoming more personalised, and more players than ever are choosing to use safety tools. This shows that our members are setting the standard, not just meeting it.”
Tournier argued that continued progress in player protection depends on consumers choosing regulated operators rather than unlicensed alternatives.
“A sustainable sector that helps keep players safe depends on players choosing the regulated market,” Tournier added. “That is where they are protected, and where Europe gains the taxes and investment set out in this report. That is why, in a joint letter in this year’s report, our member CEOs call for evidence-led regulation that keeps the regulated market attractive to players, and for stronger enforcement against illegal operators and those who facilitate them.”
The figures were compiled from data submitted by EGBA member operators as part of the association’s annual reporting process. The €5.5bn headline contribution combines tax payments, sports investment and charitable donations, although it does not include wider economic impacts such as salaries, social security contributions or spending with suppliers.
The report arrives as European regulators continue to debate the balance between consumer protection and market competitiveness, with EGBA using the findings to argue that well-regulated gambling markets can deliver both enhanced safeguards for players and substantial economic benefits for society.
FAQs
How much did EGBA members contribute to European society in 2025?
According to EGBA, member operators contributed more than €5.5bn through taxation, sports investment and charitable donations during 2025.
How much tax did EGBA members pay?
The report states that members paid €4.5bn in taxes during 2025, up from €3.8bn the previous year.
How many customers used safer gambling tools?
EGBA members reported that 16.5 million customer accounts used voluntary player protection measures, equivalent to 38 per cent of all customer accounts.
What was the industry’s contribution to sport?
Members contributed €768m through sponsorship agreements, statutory levies and media rights payments, with more than half linked to streaming rights arrangements.
How are gambling operators increasing safer gambling efforts?
The report says members sent 29.6 million personalised safer gambling messages during 2025 and increased the use of tailored interventions based on individual player behaviour.
