2022 Gambling Revenues in Europe Back Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), in collaboration with H2 Gambling Capital, has released a research claiming that gambling revenues in Europe had stabilized in 2022 above pre-pandemic levels. The reopening of casinos and betting shops following the pandemic was a major factor in the 23% growth in gambling industry income in Europe this year, which was 8% higher than in 2019.

The gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the gambling industry in Europe climbed by 23% to €108.5 billion in the last year, according to the end-of-year market statistics study European Online Gambling – Key Figures 2022. The increase was brought on by “a strong resurgence” in land-based gaming as venues resume operations following a prolonged closure due to the epidemic.

The gambling market’s income in Europe fell in 2020 and 2021, although it steadied this year at 8% more than it was before to the epidemic. Online gambling income continued to expand steadily in 2022, increasing by 8% from the previous year to reach €38.2 billion GGR. While this was happening, land-based gaming income dramatically increased to €70.3 billion GGR this year, up 34% from 2021 levels but still down 6% from 2019.

iGaming contributed 35% of Europe’s total GGR, while land-based gaming generated 65% of all gambling income. The most lucrative kind of online gambling in Europe in 2022 was casino, with revenues of €14.9 billion or 39% of the continent’s total iGaming income.

In addition to aggregated data and industry forecasts on a national and European level, the EGBA report also includes specifics on EGBA member gaming operators and industry giants bet365, Betsson, Entain, Flutter, Kindred, and William Hill (888).

Key highlights as taken from the report using data from its members, include:

Revenue

• 33% of all European online gambling income that year came from the combined €11,6 billion GGR of EGBA members.
• 46% of the online gambling GGR was made up of sports betting, while 45% was made up of online casinos.

Customers

• 29,8 million online users in Europe as a whole.
• Processed 111,6 billion online bets or stakes from consumers, totaling €202,9 billion (bonuses included).
• Returned wins from customers totaling €191,3 billion, with an average RTP of 94.3%.

Sports betting types

• Pre-match sports betting saw an increase in popularity, accounting for 66% of EGBA members’ online sports betting GGR.

Licensing

• 21 European nations together hold 225 internet gambling licenses, with Croatia and the Netherlands now holding such licenses.