Europe Gambling Statistics
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is the Brussels-based trade association representing the leading online gaming and betting operators established, licensed and regulated within the EU. EGBA works together with national and EU authorities and other stakeholders towards a well-regulated online gambling market which provides a high level of consumer protection and takes into. Statistics available from other government bodies which measure and report on the gambling market. Gambling participation and problem gambling We regularly collect data on gambling both in terms of information about the consumer and the method they choose to gamble.
- Online Gambling Europe Statistics
- Europe Gambling Statistics Today
- Europe Gambling Statistics 2019
- Europe Gambling Statistics 2020
Experts say gambling, and sports betting especially, are on the rise in Europe. How dramatic are the changes, and is it really rising? Read this analysis to find out.
The history of gambling in Europe
Before we get into the topic, you should know that gambling is not rising only now. It has been popular throughout the world for millennia. The Egyptians were found playing the first pair of dice, and Greeks were betting on animal fights way before the Roman Empire began its rise to power.
Gambling is in our blood. It’s closely tied with risk-taking, and release of dopamine that every gambler feels when they win.That’s why Europe was always full of gamblers and bettors. In the 15th century, card games took the continent by a storm, and soon the first casinos opened in modern day Italy.
Just as today, the development of the casino industry and sports betting was on par with governmental efforts to ban it.
As first Monaco casinos were being built. Germany was banning gambling. But the major gambling hubs of old Europe survived to this day.
So gambling was always a thing. These days, however, it’s growing due to technological advancements.
The current state of gambling
The size of the gambling market in the EU is huge, it caps at almost €95 billion according to EGBA data. The bulk of it is land-based games, but a constantly growing share is online gambling.
Online Gambling Europe Statistics
Online gambling takes almost 20% of the market (in Ireland it takes 41% of the market) as a whole and is predicted to grow up to 24% by 2020. This is no surprise, given the connectedness of today’s world.
The size of the European market is just a fraction in comparison with the global picture, however. €95 billion that Europe generates is only one-fifth of the global gambling industry that peaks at €500 billion. The global picture includes giants like Macao and the US that both outperform EU in the gambling size. However, the region’s gross gambling revenue is growing.
Sports betting on the rise
Sports betting is one of the leading industries in European gambling. EGBA shows as high as 40% of people prefer to place bets on sports rather than on casino games. The bulk of bets are made in sports bars, especially when team supporters gather to have a drink and watch a game. This kind of pastime is very popular in the UK, a country that is in the lead on the European market.
Sports betting is made even easier if you consider the possibility to bet online. Until recently, you could have seen ads in between major sports events urging you to go online and place a bet. Now, this practice is considered a faux pas, but the popularity of betting doesn’t go down.
Participation rates
According to the UKGC 2018 report, 46% of Brits gamble at least once a month. Men and women gamble nearly identically but tend to play different games. Most people play to win some money and have fun, but 18% report playing to win a jackpot and change their life. This correlates with the number of gamblers who play the national lottery, 22%.
Online gambling is growing, with 40% of gamblers having played online during the last month. 82% have gambled off-line, so there are gamblers who combine both media.
Overall, the number of gamblers in Europe is rather high and keeps growing.
The controversies
A high gambling participation rate means there’s going to be more sad stories of addiction. It’s no secret that gambling attracts people who suffer from depression and try to cope by obsessing over something.
Europe Gambling Statistics Today
This is why you so many stories about people scamming PayPal to lose over €100,000 in debt or stealing to fund their gambling habit.
The good news is, gambling companies try to have a good reputation, so they spend money on anti-addiction programs to negate the side effects of the growing popularity of gambling.
Travelling to Europe is a rite of passage for people from all over
the world. The continent consists of 50 countries, each with a
rich heritage, national history, and unique relationship to the
world of gambling. From gaming hotspots like Monaco and the
French Riviera to less-known markets like Croatia and Poland,
the entirety of Europe is a perfect travel destination for
gamblers.
Americans have deeply-embedded romantic notions about
travel in Europe.Most of them true. European hospitality sets
the standard by which the rest of the world’s tourist trade is judged. You don’t have to spend thousands of
dollars on hotel stays in places like France, England, or Italy. Of course, you CAN spend that much, especially if
you’re interested in luxury amenities at the region’s top hotel casino properties.
We’ve collected examples of Europe’s best casino hotels at three different price points. The nations that make
up modern Europe offer a variety of experiences, from the historic chapels of Italy to the ultra-modernist
design and fashion of Copenhagen. We’ve tried to represent the diversity of the European experience with
these selections, which offer hotel casino stays for very different budgets.
First Class Hotels
Luxury Casino Hotels
We’ve also included details of some of the best non-gambling activities to do in Europe, and there’s
information on the history of gambling in Europe too.
Top Budget Casino Hotels in Europe
Hotel Ambassador Monaco
Casino di Sanremo
Mercure Warszawa Grand Hotel
The Mercure Warszawa Grand Hotel is home to the Orbis Casino.
The hotel has 450 available guest rooms along with 10 VIP suites, all
of which offer luxury amenities at a five-star property for really low
prices. Rooms start at just $134 a night.
This hotel (and the city of Warsaw) are often called the best luxury deal
in Europe, and for good reason. The attached 4,000 square-foot casino
is made up mostly of slots and table games, including American-style table games and occasional
head-to-head poker tournaments.
Key Information
Phone number: +48 22 621 36 35
Address: 28 Krucza Street, Warsaw, Poland
Website: http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3384-hotel-mercure-…
Hotel Ambassador Monaco
If you’re going to visit Monte Carlo, you have two choices. You can
stay at the Hotel Ambassador or break the bank on hotel fees.
Monaco is an expensive place to visit, but you can do it on a budget
by staying at this surprisingly-inexpensive hotel and casino. Guests
who stay here have private parking – something that comes at a
huge premium in this part of the world. Besides being cheap, the
Ambassador is also the best location in the city, just minutes from all the traditional tourist locations. The
attached casino hosts all the traditional Monte Carlo favorites, with an emphasis on French roulette.
Key Information
Phone number: +377 97 97 96 96
Address: 10 Avenue Prince Pierre, Monaco, France
Website http://www.ambassadormonaco.com/
Casino di Sanremo
Italy is home to just five traditional casinos. The biggest and
most popular of them all is also one of the most affordable.
A stay at the Casino di Sanremo won’t cost much more than
a room at any of the big hotels nearby, but it has the added
benefit of a 40,000+ square foot casino. Don’t expect a spate
of Western-style games; sure, slot and video poker machines are
available, but the focus here is on punto banco, roulette, and “red and black.”
Key Information
Phone number: +39 0184 5951
Address: Corso degli Inglesi, 18, 18038 Sanremo, Italy
Website http://www.casinosanremo.it/
Top First Class Casino Hotels in Europe
Hotel Algarve Casino
The May Fair Hotel
Fairmont Monte Carlo
The hotel is rated four stars by international travel agencies and
reviewers, but it’s not quite the level of glitz you’d find at other
spots in Monaco. That makes it more affordable – and the level of
elegance is still far beyond what you’d find at a mid-range Vegas
casino hotel. As for the casino, the name of the game at the
Fairmount is Vegas-style gambling.
You won’t find punto banco or chemin de fer here – instead, US-style blackjack, “English roulette,” and
games like craps and Texas holdem are available. The Fairmount is home to more slot machines than any
venue in France or Monaco – I counted more than 300 slot and video poker machines during my last visit.
Key Information
Phone number: +377 93 50 65 00
Address: 12 Avenue des Spélugues, Monaco
Website http://www.fairmont.com/monte-carlo/
Hotel Algarve Casino
Thanks to low prices, a booming economy, and an
invigorated tourist trade,Portugal is fast becoming a casino
hotspot,. This is Portugal’s first legitimate casino-hotel.
Expect top of the line accommodations and luxury
amenities – and get there while it’s still cheap to travel and
stay in this amazing country.
The attached casino hosts mostly games that American gamblers would be familiar with, though all
roulette games are French, and only a few dozen machine games are available.
Key Information
Phone number: +351 282 402 000
Address: Av. Tomás Cabreira, Praia da Rocha, Portimão, Portugal
Website http://hotelalgarvecasino.solverde.pt/pt/
The May Fair Hotel
A perfect blend of the informal and the elegant, from
inexpensive street food storefronts to gourmet dining,
and from traditional European casino gambling to a bustling
West End theater, the May Fair has a little of everything.
It isn’t exactly cheap to stay here. London is one of the most
expensive cities in the world for travelers.But the attached
casino property offers the best of London, from a betting exchange and OTB facility to machine games
and VIP baccarat and roulette.
Key Information
Phone number: +44 20 7769 4041
Address: Stratton St, London W1J 8LT, United Kingdom
Website http://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/
Top Luxury Casino Hotels in Europe
Esplanade Zagreb
Palais de la Mediterranee
Hotel Alfonso XIII
This hotel and casino is the flagship luxury experience of
Spain. Between two Conde Nast Gold List appearances and its
perennial spot on Fodor’s Reader’s Choice awards, the Hotel
Alfonso XIII is a can’t-miss venue for people of means. The art
deco architecture, gigantic central courtyard, and elegantly-
furnished rooms are the epitome of European hospitality. Casino
Sevilla (located on the ground floor) is a typically-small European gambling floor featuring mainly table
games – baccarat and roulette are local favorites. A special VIP room in the casino offers the only high-roller
gambling in the city.
Key Information
Phone number: +34 954 91 70 00
Address: San Fernando 2, Seville, Spain
Website http://www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-seville.com/
Esplanade Zagreb
Zagreb, Croatia may not be first on most people’s list of
places to visit in Europe, but this little country has tons of history,
a solid local economy, and it lacks the crowds of other Euro
hotspots. The Esplanade Zagreb was built as a tourist destination
for visitors on the Orient Express, and as such it has always been
the seat of luxury in Croatia. From the fairytale exterior to the lush
interior art deco style, this hotel is the place to see and be seen. Casino Fortuna, located inside, is home to
hundreds of electronic games (mostly slots and video poker) as well as a handful of Western-style table
games. A VIP baccarat table is available to high-roller customers.
Key Information
Phone number: +385 1 4566 666
Address: Mihanovićeva ul. 1, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
Website http://www.esplanade.hr/
Palais de la Mediterranee
Built right at the gateway to the French Alps and the Riviera,
the Palais, as locals call it, is an ambitiously-restored luxury palace.
Re-opened in 2004, after a decade of construction and renovation,
the Palais pays homage to Europe of the 1920s. Boutique-style
rooms (just six rooms per each of the hotel’s nine floors) display the
definition of French opulence. The hotel’s fourth floor casino focuses
almost exclusively on baccarat, roulette, and other French and European games, with very little in the way
of gaming machines and a massive VIP section.
Key Information
Phone number: +33 4 93 27 12 34
Address: 13 Prom. des Anglais, Nice, France
Website http://nice.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
Non-Gambling Activities in Europe
It’s important that we talk about the non-gambling activities available in Europe. We cover the non-gambling
activities available in places like Las Vegas and Macau, which are much smaller than the continent of Europe.
And Europe has plenty to offer.
What you do in Europe has a lot to do with what country you’re in. Visitors to Italy enjoy the restaurant scene in
Tuscany or the history of the Vatican. A traveler in France may decide to take a shortcut to Epernay to tour
wineries.
The easiest way to choose a non-gambling activity in Europe is to start with some basics.
- Are you going to be in a country with bad weather that forces you indoors?
- Is the natural beauty of the place you’re visiting a big part of its appeal?
- Are you travelling with kids or a large family?
- What’s the size of your budget?
Once you’ve answered those questions, you’ll find it a lot easier to find suitable activities to enjoy. You can
also just follow our recommendations.
Here’s a list featuring our picks for the top non-gambling destinations of Europe.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Pais
The Louvre, Paris
The Colosseum, Rome
Palace of Versailles, Versailles
British Museum, London
Charles Bridge, Prague
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
The Azores, Portugal
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Members of the Parisian court were said to be playing roulette as early as 1796. By the early 1800s, the Roulette has changed little over the centuries, besides the variation that allows for an additional 0 space to Betting on the outcome of athletic events goes back to The Mecca of sports gambling is London, which is one of the flagship cities of Europe. Sports betting is as These days, plenty of Europeans have made the switch to online sports gambling. The European Gaming & If you’re planning a vacation to Europe of any length, you’d be remiss if you didn’t visit at least
game was already making its first appearances in America, thanks to a high level of diplomacy and trade
between the two nations. American casinos didn’t like the game’s tiny house edge, so they added a “00”
spot – and just like that, American roulette was born.
give the house a better edge. Though roulette is not as popular in America as it once was, it’s still a major
game in Europe and parts of Asia. Whether you’re looking for a fast-paced game with simplified betting
rules, like American roulette, or a traditional casino classic like French roulette, this game has stood the test
of time in part by being adaptable. Sports Betting
pre-Roman times. We see evidence of “sports betting” as far
back as the Vedic texts of 4,500 years ago. But in terms of
modern sports betting, at kiosks, bet shops, sports books, and
online, Europe has had the greatest impact of any region of the
world. Estimates of the European sports gambling market in 2015
range from $120-146 billion, and that’s just through regulated markets, such as the ones so popular in
England.Europe Gambling Statistics 2020
British as warm beer, with bet shops and other wagering facilities on every corner. Legal sports wagering
has been a British institution since 1960, with unregulated sports wagering going back centuries in British
and European history.
Betting Association is expecting growth of more than 50% in European sports betting over the next five
years. In short – Europe already has a strong case of sports betting fever, and there’s no sign of that letting
up any time soon. No doubt, the healthy sports gambling markets of Europe influenced the spread of
sportsbooks (online and land-based) in the United States and other parts of the world. Summary
one major European casino. Gaming is as big a part of European heritage as anything else – the
majority of the world’s most-popular casino games have their roots in France, Germany, and
England. You don’t have to travel like a millionaire to enjoy Europe’s casino destinations, either.
Though luxury has long been a part of the European gaming scene, options for budget travelers
and penny-pinchers are popping up faster than ever. As Europe looks for new ways to attract
tourists, expect gambling opportunities in this multi-faceted continent to expand even more.