Gaming Compliance International (GCI) has published a report revealing that the volume of unregulated online gambling in 2025 reached $5.9 trillion worldwide, making the sector rank as the third biggest world economy. The report found that 78% of online gambling in 2025 came from illegal operators, covering segments like online sports betting, casinos, poker, and
Gaming Compliance International (GCI) has published a report revealing that the volume of unregulated online gambling in 2025 reached $5.9 trillion worldwide, making the sector rank as the third biggest world economy.
The report found that 78% of online gambling in 2025 came from illegal operators, covering segments like online sports betting, casinos, poker, and crypto gambling. The report also included prediction markets in the calculations, except for the United States, where event contracts are legally regulated.
The CEO of GCI, Matt Holt, commented:
“The scale of the unregulated online gambling sector is now undeniable. At $5.9 trillion in wagering value, unregulated online gambling is one of the largest economic systems in the world, operating largely outside regulatory oversight.”
The President of GCI, Ismail Vali, added:
“In a world where you can bet on anything, consumers are increasingly betting on everything. This is the gamification of everything. The audience does not distinguish between these sectors. They experience one marketplace, where everything is accessible, and everything competes equally.”
According to the findings, the size of global unregulated gambling has been growing over the last three years, from $5.1 trillion in 2023 to $5.7 trillion in 2024 and $5.9 trillion in 2025.
It was also stated in the report that the reasons behind this rise are illegal sports streams, regulatory exploitation, popular sports events, and product bleed from unacknowledged categories.