Illegal gambling in Europe – why even mature markets lose to the shadow sector

It is commonly believed that the Western market serves as a model of sustainable development for the gambling industry. Many European countries with legalized gambling demonstrate record growth in online GGR, an increase in the number of gambling companies, and a growing player base. This has been made possible through the systematic development of a regulatory environment that balances business opportunities with player protection, prevention of gambling addiction, and other safeguards.

However, even in such a highly regulated environment, there is room for shadow gambling operations generating billion-dollar turnovers without any taxes or accountability, writes Anton Kuchukhidze, Chairman of the Ukrainian Gambling Council, in his opinion column. Read more