Snakebite

About Snakebite

Earlier this summer, the Dutch Online Gaming Providers (VNLOK) trade body initiated legal action against Meta and lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, accusing the social media giant of failing to prevent the widespread display of illegal online gambling advertisements targeting Dutch users on Facebook and Instagram. 

According to VNLOK, the illegal online gambling market in the Netherlands now matches the size of the regulated sector, with estimated annual revenues in excess of €1 billion ($1.1 billion).

Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.

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A new report commissioned by Euromat, and produced by Regulus Partners and Helios, estimates that Europe’s black market has sustained a compound annual growth rate of 18% between 2019 and 2026, and will be worth up to €13 billion by the end of the year.

The report assesses black market activity across 28 European jurisdictions, including the UK, Netherlands and Germany. According to estimates across a mature black market ecosystem, 25 operators account for approximately 64% of relevant black market traffic.

Thanks to the “rapid growth of crypto currencies” and globally recognisable branding through marketing and sponsorships, this handful of operators are generating the majority of illegal gambling traffic across Europe.

About Snakebite

Revenue from slot machines and physical table games declined to €63.4 million from €71.3 million, primarily due to a reduced retail network and fewer slot machines.

Betting and iCasino GGR rose to €151.6 million from €146.5 million. Growth in iCasino resulted from an expanded game catalogue and a rapid expansion of live casino offerings. 

Veikkaus’ international B2B subsidiary, Fennica Gaming, continued rapid expansion in H1 2026, with revenue increasing by 80.6% to €10.3 million from €5.7 million in the previous year.