Meta Description: Explore the latest news in online gambling, from UK spending habits to Germany’s market share and Thailand’s legalization plans. Stay informed!
Top online casinos, the top 10 best tactics for playing poker, and the top most profitable slot machines – all this you have already seen. In this article, we decided to diversify the monotonous content a bit and collected some interesting news from different parts of the world. Get a little distracted and learn something interesting, including little-known statistics and curious facts. Let’s get started.
Thailand Plans to Legalize Online Gambling
In Thailand, the discussion of legalizing online gambling has started again. Now, only lotteries and betting on horse races are allowed. The idea of legalization was put forward last year. At the moment, the plan for the bill is underway, which will make online gambling an official leisure activity.
This idea will also help to fight against illegal gambling companies and provide an additional source of income for the state budget. In addition to legalization, there are discussions about opening casino resorts in the country.
The EU is Pushing Slovenia to Amend Its Online Gambling Law
More and more countries, along with Thailand, are taking steps to legalize online gambling. At the request of the EU Commission, Slovenia is currently amending its online gambling law. There are some difficulties with online casinos in the country, but all domestic casinos are perfectly legal to play at.
Although domestic casinos are available, they are somewhat limited, so you should always check casinosslovenija for up-to-date information on casinos. Offshore casinos are banned, and Slovenians cannot access them legally, but thanks to EU support, Slovenia is getting a boost and allowing foreign operators to register their casinos in the country.
Gambling Accounts for 11% of UK Consumers’ Monthly Expenditure
The Department of Trust (DoT) has mined banking data for around 300,000 consumers and found that UK consumer spending is spent on gambling at 10.69% a month. The focus of this report is on what bettors spend their money on and how gambling is planned around other forms of entertainment.
The number of consumers in the study |
304 022 |
Share of gambling expenses |
10.69% of monthly leisure expenditures |
Share of gambling in total leisure expenditure |
11% of total leisure expenditure |
Total deposits for the year |
£150.8m |
Average monthly leisure budget |
£390 |
Average monthly gambling expenditure |
~£41.69 (10.69% of £390) |
Prioritizing gambling overspending |
5th place for the average player |
Priority of gambling among high-income players |
No. 1 among all leisure expenditure |
The president of the online slots and casino group in Germany, Dirk Kermann, said that the share of online slots in the country ranges from 20% to 40%, according to researchers. At the same time, the sports betting sector has an even larger share of the market. According to Matthias Dams, president of the German online betting organization, sports betting accounts for 60% to 70% of the total online gambling volume.
As of the beginning of 2025, there are about 29 licensed online betting operators in Germany. The total value of bets last year amounted to €7.3 billion, and gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached €1.1 billion. This represents a 4% growth in betting compared to the previous year. However, the introduction of a 5.3% turnover tax in 2021 has severely impacted the market – since then, total betting has fallen by 15%.
Spain Sets Record for Fines from Regulators
Gambling regulators are constantly issuing fines to providers for violations of the requirements and rules of local gambling laws. A total of $184.4 million in fines was issued worldwide last year.
Spain took first place in terms of the number of penalties and total amount last year. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain issued fines to gambling providers for $65.32 million. 15 operators were sanctioned in total. The second place was occupied by Australia, which issued fines of $58.5 million. The three leaders are the Netherlands. The amount of sanctions reached $25.7 million.
After the Netherlands are the following countries:
- Sweden – $11.5 million
- USA – $9.4 mln
- Great Britain – $8.4 mln
- Finland – $3 million
- Italy – $1.4 million
France Delays Legalization of Online Casinos
The government originally intended to speed up the online casino law through a decree, but the plan was withdrawn late last year for further consultation. This pause occurred because of opposition from Casinos de France, a group that represents the country’s 200 physical casinos.
The bill would bring immense damage to its industry, the organization says, potentially cutting revenue by 20-30 percent and forcing about a third of casinos out of business. Loss of 15,000 jobs and significant cuts to tax contributions are predicted in association with warnings about such closures. Casinos de France proposes that the issuing of Internet gambling licenses should be limited to the operators of those countries’ physical casinos.
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Now, you know a little more about the processes of the global gambling industry. We hope you found it interesting.