How big is Europe's illegal gambling market and why is it dangerous

In a study prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Betting and Gaming Council, it is stated that the number of players on illegal gambling platforms in the UK increased from 220,000 to 460,000 over the past two years.

In Norway, about 66% of all bets are attributed to the black market. Experts link this to the recently introduced state monopoly on all gambling and its advertising in the country.

In France this figure is about 57%, in Italy – 23%, and in Spain – 20%. Denmark and Sweden also reported an increase in the black gambling market.

The authors of the study associate this with the fact that in the listed countries in recent years bans on advertising legal gambling were introduced, restrictions on licensed operators were tightened, and gambling companies were also prohibited from offering players loyalty programs.

“The analysis shows that the UK has a more ‘open’ online gambling market and currently has a smaller share of the unlicensed market than other European countries,” the report says.

CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council Michael Dager said that tougher regulatory standards for the gambling industry could lead to a reduction in the licensed industry’s volume and a significant growth of the black market.

“This study speaks to the dangers of the black market, we must learn lessons from abroad and make the right choice at this dangerous crossroads… Only BGC members employ almost 120,000 people, and they pay £4.5 billion in taxes in the UK. The black market, of course, doesn’t pay taxes and doesn’t provide jobs in our country,” Dager said.

Recall, according to the results of a recent study by the All-Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC), 43.2% of respondents support at least one of the arguments in favor of legalizing gambling in Ukraine. At the same time, the majority of participants in the study (92.3%) reported that they had no experience of gambling for money in the past five years. Only 7.2% of surveyed Ukrainians would like to play gambling for money in the future.

I think the danger for the state is just one thing – it’s about the bucks that slip past the till. And for players it’s practically the same: they either lose their money or get cheated out of their winnings. What kind of pleasure in playing can you even talk about here? Players are seen as ordinary donors; sometimes they might throw you a few crumbs from the king’s table.