The Participation Data Behind iGaming’s Growth

There are many ways in which we can track the evolution of the online gambling sphere, and its growth through the lens of participation is one of the most conclusive. While a truly global assessment is very difficult because of the scope of such an effort, the data that we have on hand can give us various looks into the phenomenon.

Not only that, but we have a very interesting evolution of the industry. It has been increasingly open in terms of legalization, but some of its mature markets have been tightening control under public scrutiny and pressure caused by the less fortunate effects of gambling.

What we end up with is a kaleidoscope of information collected and interpreted across different channels that gives us a specialized insight into the growth of online gambling. This article will curate and showcase some of the most important points that shape the realities of its numerous markets.

Making sense of the data from regulated markets

We need to highlight the fact that assessing the growth of online gambling through the lens of participation is a surprisingly possible scenario because of how authorities can track usage. Since regulated markets monitor every wager and its respective timestamp, there is conclusive data.

This is the mechanism that allows regulators like the UKGC and iGO to have quarterly published figures, especially if they have major operators under their jurisdiction. The information can also be granular, with the money and time spent across products being verifiable.

However, there are certain limitations on the way some of these authorities can follow this information. Datasets come from the following:

• The UKGC shapes its quarterly reports across circa 70% of the total market, which indexes the largest operators. Its scope included accounts, gross gambling yield, the number of rounds (spins), and sessions. Money-wise, it counts the returns coming to it as a regulatory requirement from all of its licensees.
• Data coming from Britain also uses the GSGB, nationwide information coming from population surveys, to understand patterns. They come from samples, not volume assessments, which are less conclusive but still helpful.
• The AGA works with state filings, which it aggregates, and considers numbers indicating gross gambling revenue and tax inflows across its constituents. Very importantly, it does not account for tribal gambling entities, which operate physically.
• The iGO uses the total census that it obtains from operators registered under the authority of the AGCO. The Canadian provincial system requires a commercial entity (the iGO) to hold the overall license to organize gambling and provide the equivalent of sublicenses to operators, while the entire market is under AGCO’s governmental oversight.
• The EGBA uses an aggregate methodology with annual findings. Unlike other data handlers, this is a trade organization, not an official one, representing multiple markets within the European space. Its most important findings come as GGR and device split, which we’ll showcase later.

A look into active accounts and monthly players

One of the most important and applicable metrics that we should go with is the active participation factor. Doing so allows us to discuss the concept of active player accounts, which, crucially, are not person-by-person memberships, but a footprint across casinos.

Another highly important thing to note is the differentiation in data measurements. Such accounts can represent both those with monthly activity, but also those tracked over the course of a certain period, such as an entire fiscal year.

For this particular growth tracker, we have helpful data from three major markets: the UK, regulated by the UKGC, Canada’s Ontario provincial activity, and members from the European Gaming and Betting Association. As far as account activity and monthly player tracking go:

• Britain had an average of 13.4 million active accounts in Quarter 4 (Q4) of the Fiscal Year 2025/26, with activity tracked between January and March 2026. It was a rise compared to Q3 (12.7 million) and Q2 (12 million). The yearly data indicated a 1% decrease from the previous year.
• In Ontario, the latest data from April 2026 found around 1.265 million active player accounts, a 16% increase year over year. The most recent peak was in December 2025, with 1.267 million active accounts per month. On an annual basis, the total for the 2024/25 fiscal year was 2.6 million, which reflects activity that occurred across the tracked period.
• Per EGBA data, in 2025, there were approximately 43.8 million active player accounts, representing a 13% increase over 2024, supported by the claiming metrics of no deposit offers listed on BetBrain in the same space.

The mobile participation share and its role in overall growth

A crucial detail to understand for this section, but also based on how the industry tries to assess participation and usage, is the fact that regulators that publish data do not split this information based on the device.

Every figure that discusses mobile usage (portable device) comes from inferences based on online gambling metrics or other methods.

The distinction needs to be understood: the channel that separates the online market from the retail (physical casino) one is essential and is the source of the data. What we can use is generally very market-=driven since audit and measurement methods differ.

What we have are the following entries:

Based on the device, sourced from the EGBA

• The latest data comes from 2023 and 2024, but also uses 2029 as the forecasted checkpoint.
• The mobile share of the online GGR (gross gambling revenue) was 58% in 2024, a 2% increase from the previous year, with a forecast of 67% by 2029.
• Based on the total GGR, 39% was from the online sphere in 2024, which translated into approximately €48 billion out of a total of €123.4 across this market.

Based on the channel, sourced from the USA (sports betting)

• In the American sports betting market, 95% of the online share was coming from the space in 2025. We are using this type of gambling because of the availability of data, itself stemming from sports betting’s legal status across most states, which is in stark contrast to the limited number of states that allow online casino gambling.
• Given that the physical betting handle was around $8 billion in the same year, subtracting it from the total tells us that almost $159 billion was generated in the digital sector.
• The data that we have is fascinating because, in 2019, the market share for retail (physical) betting was over 40%, showcasing just how much the medium has grown since its legalization in 2018.
• Moreover, data from states like Massachusetts, Illinois and Ohio hints at over 98% online channel share.

Conclusions

These are the major entries that we have based on the markets that actually track data. We need to mention that many of these are interesting and showcase growth, but not all of them are completely parsing.

However, they do show growth across jurisdictions with a high gambling profile, and newer markets that have yet to mature can tell us more about other parts of the world. In the meantime, it’s important that the public phenomenon of online gambling does not turn into a global health issue, so responsible play is crucial!