SBC Summit Europe examines three opportunities and three challenges for European iGaming

The European iGaming market still offers opportunities despite its maturity: it generated €123.4 billion in GGR in 2024, of which €47.9 billion came from online play, and regulatory and technological changes are opening concrete spaces for operators and suppliers, according to the pre-SBC Summit Europe analysis. The event will take place from 19 to 21 April 2027 at RAI Amsterdam and expects around 8,000 attendees, including more than 3,000 representatives of licensed operators.

Three clear opportunities

Regulatory change can create new markets

Regulatory reform can convert unchanneled activity into licensed market. Finland will be the clearest example: from 1 July 2027 the country will open betting, online casino, online slots and online bingo to licensed operators, ending Veikkaus' monopoly on those products. Operators have been able to apply for licences since March 2026, so they are not starting from zero; they will compete for a player base that already bets online outside the national system. The Finnish Government Programme set improving the channeling rate as an objective, after research cited during the reform suggested roughly half of the country's online spend occurred outside the monopoly.

Move more market into the online channel

Despite the overall volume, land-based still dominates in Europe: in 2024 online play represented 39% of GGR and land-based 61%, according to the cited figures, and the digital share is projected to rise to 45% by 2029. The digital portion varies by country: in Italy online contributed 21.7% of GGR and in Spain 14.2%, while in Sweden, Finland and Denmark online exceeded two-thirds of GGR. The Flutter group justified its acquisition of Snai noting that online was only 21% of Italian GGR in 2023 versus more than 60% in mature digital markets like the United Kingdom, and argued that digital adoption will drive growth.

Personalization to extract more value from existing customers

Personalization can increase revenue without relying solely on acquisition. Research cited by Optimove indicates that 71% of players expect personalized experiences from casino brands. Providers and operators use behaviour-based recommendations: Evolution stated in its 2025 annual report that it had integrated artificial intelligence into its recommendation engines and localised its Smart Lobby to help players discover relevant games. Entain, in its 2025 annual report, attributes CRM and machine learning with improving personalization, engagement and bonus allocation. These techniques are also applied to sports-betting content and to unifying journeys between land-based and digital products.

Three challenges shaping expansion

Keeping players within the regulated market

Channeling remains the principal regulatory problem. A study commissioned by the German regulator GGL estimated that in 2024 77.03% of online gambling activity in Germany was channeled through the regulated market, leaving 22.97% with unlicensed operators. Germany currently allows certain flexibilities: the standard maximum stake on online slots is €1, but approved operators may authorise eligible players to stake up to €3 and, under stricter conditions, up to €5; that arrangement remains until 31 December 2027. In the United Kingdom, the Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% in April 2026, and the general rate of the Remote Betting Duty is scheduled to rise to 25% in April 2027. The Betting and Gaming Council has warned that higher costs could incentivise migration to the black market.

Scaling in Europe is not straightforward

Each country offers a different framework: France prohibits online casino, while Denmark allows online slots, roulette and blackjack. Beyond product legality, restrictions on marketing, player protection and licence conditions require adapting product, compliance and local teams. That fragmentation increases expansion costs and forces selective decisions about which markets to address.

Getting noticed requires investment and differentiation

Obtaining a licence does not guarantee traction. BetMGM entered Great Britain in 2023 and deployed a campaign with Chris Rock on TV, digital, radio and sports sponsorships. Challenger operator Midnite closed in 2025 a credit line of up to $100 million for growth and marketing, and added a $35 million Series C in January 2026, as well as sponsorships such as the partnership with the World Snooker Championship 2025 and Championship clubs. These examples show that gaining share requires marketing spend and a proposition that retains customers once acquired.

What SBC Summit Europe will discuss

SBC Summit Europe plans to explore the issues outlined: channeling and black-market competition, taxation, advertising restrictions, player protection and affordability, licensing and compliance, and the impact of technology and AI. The programme also includes sessions on payments, sports betting platforms, casino, marketing and player behaviour. Partnerships with IAGR and IMGL and the participation of regulatory authorities aim to bring policymakers and supervisors to Amsterdam.

"Regulation, technology and player behaviour are changing where and how market is won," said an event organiser in the programme presentation, underlining the mix of opportunities and frictions operators and regulators face.

The practical challenge shared by operators and authorities is simple in formulation: ensure regulation protects the player while making the licensed market sufficiently attractive to retain activity that today operates outside the national framework. The questions that remain to be answered will be the focus of the sessions on 19–21 April 2027 at RAI Amsterdam.