EGBA members report strong 2025 growth as operator margins continue to rise

Members of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) generated a combined €18bn (£15.5bn) in online gross gaming revenue (GGR) during 2025. This is the data according to the organisation's latest Annual Activity Report.

The figures represent a 34% year-on-year increase. Member companies now account for around 30% of Europe's online gambling market.

The report also showed the continued expansion across the regulated sector. EGBA members now hold 401 online licences across 22 European jurisdictions. This is up from 321 licences a year earlier.

Revenue and customer growth continues

EGBA members accepted a combined €275.3bn in stakes during 2025. This was a 28% increase on the previous year. Customer winnings reached €257.3bn, up 27%.

At the same time, the number of active customer accounts grew by 13% to 43.8 million. This represents a 47% increase compared with 2021.

The association attributed the increase to both organic growth among existing members and the addition of new operators to its membership.

Casino remains largest vertical

Online casino remained the largest contributor to revenue, accounting for 48% of GGR while sports betting represented 46%. Poker and other products, including bingo, esports, virtual betting and event betting, each contributed 3%.

Sports betting produced the strongest annual growth. GGR rose 49% to €8.2bn while casino revenue increased 23% to €8.6bn

Within sports betting, pre-match betting generated 63% of revenue compared with 37% from in-play betting.

RTP continues to fall as margins improve

One of the report's most notable trends was a continued reduction in return-to-player (RTP) percentages.

Average RTP fell from 93.7% in 2024 to 93.4% in 2025. This was the fourth consecutive annual decline since 2021. As a result, operator margins increased from 6.3% to 6.6%.

Many operators have reduced RTP levels in recent years. This is because they seek to offset rising operating costs, including higher gambling taxes and tighter regulatory requirements like stake and deposit limits.

However, some industry commentators have argued that reducing RTP could prove counterproductive if it discourages customers or reduces long-term player value.

"Active customer accounts increased 13% in 2025 to 43.8 million."

Responsible gambling initiatives expand

Alongside commercial performance, the report outlined several responsible gambling initiatives delivered during 2025.

In partnership with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), the EGBA introduced its Responsible Influencer Marketing Pledge. This encouraged stricter age verification, clearer advertising disclosures and greater protections against content aimed at under-18s.

The association also reported continued growth for European Safer Gambling Week which attracted 221 partner organisations across 24 countries. It was a 14% increase compared with 2024.

During the campaign, safer gambling messaging appeared during live televised football matches for the first time in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and Italy. The EGBA also launched safergambling.eu. This provides country-specific support services and self-exclusion information.

What it means for the UK

Although the  EGBA operates at a European level, several of its members, bet365, Entain,  evoke and Flutter, are among the UK's largest gambling operators. As a result, wider European trends around customer growth, RTP adjustments and responsible gambling measures are likely to be closely watched by the UK market.

The findings also arrive as UK operators continue adapting to regulatory reforms following the Gambling Act review. This includes the rollout of financial risk assessments and increasing compliance costs. Against that backdrop, the balance between maintaining profitability and delivering value to customers is expected to remain a key issue for operators across both the UK and Europe.