This analysis reviews European gaming data from March 2025 to March 2026, based on an average of 6.2 million active players per month. The report covers four key markets: Spain, Greece, Italy and the UK. It tracks five key indicators: monthly deposit amount, sports betting amount, casino betting amount, player activity days and customer retention rate.
Key findings and insights
- March recovery: March 2026 shows a synchronised upward trend in retention, activity days and casino betting volumes. This suggests a seasonal recovery across the EU gaming sector as spring begins.
- Sports betting stability: Outside of Italy, the sports betting graph is relatively stable over the 12-month period. Greece, Spain and especially the UK move within a narrow range month to month, which suggests sports wagering in those markets is less driven by sharp spikes in the calendar.
- Opportunity in the UK: The retention rates and days of activity in the UK suggest an opportunity for actions that could help to increase player investment, as they are just as engaged as in other countries, but more conservative regarding monthly spending.
EU: Average monthly total deposit amount
Over the period, Greece leads throughout and remains ahead of the other markets, with deposits generally trending upward. Italy forms the second tier and shows an upward path overall, though with more volatility. Spain is much steadier, staying in a relatively narrow band and gradually rising. The UK remains the lowest of the four markets, with modest fluctuations but little evidence of a major structural jump until a late-period improvement.
Compared with February 2026, March 2026 improved in Greece, Italy and the UK, while Spain was slightly lower. The latest month confirms the same ranking seen across most of the year: Greece first, Italy second, Spain third and the UK fourth. The upward movement across most regions indicates a strong end to the first quarter of 2026.
Countries’ overall averages:
- Greece
March 2026: $559
12-month trailing average: $540
- Italy
March 2026: $446
12-month trailing average: $389
- Spain
March 2026: $298
12-month trailing average: $280
- UK
March 2026: $250
12-month trailing average: $247
Definition of average deposit amount: The average deposit amount is calculated by taking the total sum of all deposits and dividing it by the number of sports and casino bettors (players) who have made at least one deposit.
EU: Average total monthly casino betting amount
Over the period, Spain remains the strongest casino market, spending most of the year above the rest. Greece is close behind and, a few times, challenges Spain’s level. Italy occupies a lower middle tier, and the UK is clearly the smallest casino market, trending gradually upward.
All countries ended March above the 12-month trailing average. Compared with February 2026, March 2026 shows a notable rebound in Spain and Greece.
Overall averages:
- Spain
March 2026: $3,230
12-month trailing average: $2,924
- Greece
March 2026: $2,896
12-month trailing average: $2,760
- Italy
March 2026: $2,217
12-month trailing average: $2,123
- UK
March 2026: $1,294
12-month trailing average: $1,134
Definition of total monthly casino bet amount: The average casino bet amount is the total sum of all casino bets and divided by the number of bettors who have placed at least one casino bet.
EU: Average total monthly sports betting amount
Throughout the year, Italy has shown clear leadership and fluctuation, operating on a much higher betting level than the other three countries. Greece sits in a distant second tier and remains stable overall, as does Spain. The UK is the lowest-spending sports market, though consistently growing. Analysing the most recent data, Italy continues its upward trajectory, reinforcing its leadership, while Greece, Spain and the UK show a slight decrease.
Overall averages:
- Italy
March 2026: $1,504
12-month trailing average: $1,229
- Greece
March 2026: $831
12-month trailing average: $836 - Spain
March 2026: $751
12-month trailing average: $709
- UK
March 2026: $375
12-month trailing average: $364
Definition of total monthly sport bet amount: The average sport betting amount is the total sum of all sports bets divided by the number of bettors who have placed at least one sports bet.
EU: Average number of activity days per active player
Across the period, Greece is consistently the most active market, staying well above the others and usually landing around the 11-to-12-day range. Spain and Italy form the middle cluster, though Spain finishes the period with stronger activity than Italy. The UK trails the group for most of the period, but not from afar as in other metrics. Compared to February 2026, March 2026 shows an increase in all four markets, signaling a recovery after the declines at the beginning of the year.
Overall averages:
- Greece
March 2026: 11.6 days
12-month trailing average: 11.8 days
- Spain
March 2026: 9.8 days
12-month trailing average: 9.1 days
- Italy
March 2026: 9.6 days
12-month trailing average: 9.0 days
- UK
March 202: 8.4 days
12-month trailing average: 8.6 days
Definition of average activity days: The average number of activity days is the total number of activity days divided by the number of bettors who have at least one activity day.
EU: Average active customer retention rate
Over the period, all countries show some volatility and very similar retention rates overall. Greece has the highest retention profile, while Spain, Italy and the UK fight in the middle tier.
Compared with February 2026, all four markets improved in March 2026. Greece rises back to the mid-80s, Spain returns to 80% and both Italy and the UK recover to 79%. As with other metrics, this indicates a period of recovery following the slight downturn of recent months.
Overall averages:
- Greece
March 2026: 84%
12-month trailing average: 83%
- Italy
March 2026: 79%
12-month trailing average: 74%
- Spain
March 2026: 80%
12-month trailing average: 77%
- UK
March 2026: 79%
12-month trailing average: 77%
Definition of active retention rate: The percentage of bettors who were active in the preceding month and remained active in the current month.
The post Optimove: Italy leads on sports betting amounts while Spain still the strongest casino market first appeared on EGR Intel.
Comparisons of four large European markets by research analyst Roni Karmi reveals an upward trend in retention, active days and casino betting volumes during March
The post Optimove: Italy leads on sports betting amounts while Spain still the strongest casino market first appeared on EGR Intel.