The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has urged the European Commission (EC) to get to grips with online gambling fraud, including the growing threat of fraudulent websites and apps posing as legal operators.
The plea was made following the EGBA’s recent call for evidence for the upcoming European Union’s (EU) Action Plan on Fighting Online Fraud – a wide-ranging initiative to suppress online fraud across different sectors and strengthen cross-border co-operation.
The EGBA submission to the EC described how fraudsters “systematically impersonate licensed gambling operators to deceive consumers across Europe”.
Illegitimate websites frequently use domain names that mimic those of licensed operators, the Brussels-based trade body claimed, while illegal gambling apps can often be found on the Google Play and Apple App stores.
Furthermore, the EGBA said phishing campaigns impersonate licensed brands, while social media ads encourage users to download non-EU-based real-money apps disguised as games.
Fraudulent domains and apps often quickly reappear after being shut down, according to EGBA member testimonies, demonstrating the limits of the current monitoring and enforcement system.
Some operators based outside the EU falsely claim to hold EU gambling licences and disguise their gambling offerings as legitimate games, which leaves players exposed to the potential theft of both their deposited funds and their identity, and the threat of gambling-related harm in the absence of self-exclusion tools.
According to the EGBA, illegal operators accounted for an estimated 27% (€18bn) of Europe’s total online gambling market gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2025.
Dr Ekaterina Hartmann, director of legal and regulatory affairs at the trade body, said: “The evidence we’ve gathered shows how fraudsters are systematically exploiting the trust consumers place in the licensed gambling environment, putting European consumers at risk and allowing the illegal online gambling market to grow.
Adoption of the Action Plan on Fighting Online Fraud is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
In October, the chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) urged regulators to join forces internationally to tackle a black market “seeming to know fewer and fewer boundaries, both geographically and ethically”.
Tipico was announced as the EGBA’s latest operator member in January. The trade body said the partnership would “significantly strengthen” its presence in Germany.
The post EGBA lays out the scale of igaming fraud to European Commission first appeared on EGR Intel.
Trade body suggests the illegal sector targeting Europe generates €18bn a year in GGR, largely driven by fraudsters impersonating licensed operators to deceive players
The post EGBA lays out the scale of igaming fraud to European Commission first appeared on EGR Intel.