iGaming 2026: Top Trends, Forecasts, and Survival Strategies in the Era of Market Maturity

In 2025 the global online gambling industry reached a new level of maturity. Instead of chasing growth at any cost, B2C and B2B operators all over the world are now prioritizing steady stability with focus on the long run. 

Right now, the industry is analyzing data to plan for the year ahead. At MGL, we didn’t just witness last year’s trends; we were actively involved in shaping them. We have closely studied the major discussions happening across different markets. If you don’t want to spend time reading through massive reports yourself, you can find the most important highlights right here.

Global Forces Changing the Landscape

The main macro trend of 2025 is the transition to regulated markets. Global iGaming no longer resembles the Wild West, where operators work in the “gray zone” however they want. Now, more and more regulated markets are appearing on the map to suit every taste: from those with simpler compliance and fast licensing timelines, like Liberia and Tuvalu, to those with stricter compliance requirements, such as Nevis or the updated Curaçao. 

Many countries and regions have seen the huge potential of the industry and decided that regulating is much more effective than banning. This is how we have seen new markets emerge.

Brazil opened up on January 1st 2025 for sports betting and online gambling, raised the GGR tax rate to 18%, “cut off the payment oxygen” for unlicensed operators, and allowed licensed betting and casino apps to be listed on the local Google Play store.

Chile has also started regulating online betting platforms. But unlike Brazil, operators in Chile will face a 19% VAT, with the total tax burden below 28%. Colombia is another country in LatAm that officially recognizes esports betting.

New Zealand has also moved away from an unregulated market long dominated by offshore operators and plans to open their market by 2026. Operators may obtain 15 three-year licenses beginning in February 2026 with the opportunity to go live the same year. 

The same applies to Uzbekistan, where the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP) will oversee and supervise operators offering online gambling, lotteries, and betting. 

Finland and Austria dismantled their monopoly and replaced it with a licensing model for online gambling operators. The Finnish gambling market is expected to open to private operators in early 2027, while previous monopoly Veikkaus would retain control only of lotteries, land-based slots and casino operations. 

Furthermore, there will be a new regulatory body, Licensing and Supervision Authority, to oversee operators, enforce compliance, and coordinate a self-exclusion system. In Austria the tender process will begin earlier than the Finnish one, in 2025.

In addition to new markets opening, there are a bunch of countries that unified their regulatory frameworks. For instance, France plans to legalize online casinos along with its regulated sports betting, horse racing, and online poker. Ireland is expected to secure licenses for online casinos in early 2025, with full regulatory rollout by 2027. 

Greece came to the point to unify their gambling legislation, while Ukraine already dissolved its previous gambling regulator, KRAIL, with PlayCity with a more strengthening supervision and digitising licensing approach.

Stricter Standards in Regulation

The more markets open, the stricter the regulation becomes. This applies to both mature and emerging markets. Regulators are now focusing on stronger player protection, restricting gambling promotions, and blocking illegal operators as fast as possible. 

Nevis is probably the clearest example of how it works in practice. The jurisdiction opened for the license issuing just in April, and since that time, it started to recognize itself as a Tier-1 direction. Operators considering more affordable alternatives to Malta, Curaçao, and other expensive jurisdictions with strict compliance regulations can get licensed on the island within two months. 

Mature markets have tightened their standards in the past year as well. From 1 July 2025, the Netherlands regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), enforced a complete prohibition on sports sponsorship by iGaming operators. The ban covers brand visibility on team kits, stadium signage, and athlete endorsements, concluding a phased withdrawal that began in 2023. If license holders repeat the violation, they will be involved in a new five-tier penalty regime with fines ranging from $500 to $2 million. 

Lithuania, Belgium, recently opened for gambling Brazil, Colombia and other countries have begun a ban on gambling advertising to reduce gambling activities accessibility and mitigate social harm. In many cases, the restrictions have applied to TV, radio, online and print advertising, limiting frequency and format. 

Advertising in iGaming can change even more. Recent research shows that some safer-gambling adverts may unintentionally encourage gambling behaviour rather than reduce it. Simply speaking, campaigns intended to promote awareness are doing more harm than good because they can be the triggers for play. 

These research results are taken by regulators as a sign for stronger monitoring of outcomes. For operators, this means the question is no longer whether to communicate safer gambling messages but how to design them so that they meet regulatory expectations and genuinely reduce harm. In the coming years, regulators are expected to tighten standards further to ensure such campaigns protect players instead of inadvertently encouraging play.

Building on adaptable infrastructure reflecting new RG requirements can be the solution especially if it contains AI-powered monitoring, automated risk detection, and personalised player tools. The RG measures could be implemented even in marketing strategies, in which marketers will communicate transparently about limits, risks, and support tools. 

Taxation and Revenue Control

It was almost impossible not to notice how jurisdictions managed their taxation regimes, increasing and decreasing, and increasing taxes again and again. All of these changes are a part of increased fiscal pressure on iGaming operators. 

In order to control the industry inside the borders, governments all over the world tighten the financial side of oversight, not limiting regulation. That is how operators faced new rates on their Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), levies and license fees. 

The United Kingdom increased a mandatory levy. Operators now must contribute between 0.1% and 1.1% of their gross gaming yield, depending on the sector. In turn, Brazil increased the GGR tax rate from 12% to 18%, while Nigeria put a tax of 5% on winning for residents, 15% for non-residents, and an excise 5% tax on all gambling services, including deposits. 

Germany keeps their progressive tax system even on gambling, for online casinos in particular. Operators have to pay 15% on their GGR up to 300,000 euro per month, 20% between 300,000 and 750,000 euro, and 25% above that. Armenia doubled its B2B licensing fees on GDP up to 15% and raised tax revenues by more than 7%.

For jurisdictions, a taxation and fees increase is a strategic source of revenue. For operators, it is all about raising new challenges. Higher tax rates and new levies cut into profits, while strict reporting rules and payment blocks increase costs and compliance risks. 

Responsible Gambling

Responsible Gambling is not a new thing. iGaming operators have been protecting their users for a long time. The difference between before and 2025 is that it has become an integral part of market development and for sure it will continue to expand its influence. 

That means that the industry is growing, as well as public and political attention to it and risks related to gambling. We see that as a sign of the industry's maturity. 

As of 2025, new regulations made Know Your Customer (KYC), Responsible Gambling (RG) and Anti-Money laundering (AML) policies non-negotiable. Gambling is always under the spotlight, but now platforms put all their efforts into safety and fairness of the gaming experience. This is the consequence of the expansion of the regulated gambling market. The things that used to be voluntary are now mandated, and it applies to everything from compliance to advertising. 

For operators, it means they have to implement RG into product design, user experience funnel, and risk management from the very beginning because a strong RG framework sends a clear signal that an operator is mature, trustworthy, and positioned for long-term success in regulated markets.

Fines

Operating out of line in 2025 is the same thing as if you jumped over the lava. One way or another, it will end with a scenario no one wants to be involved in. Whether it’s Responsible Gambling breaches or targeting locals without permission, operators face larger and more public fines. 

Just look at the examples. The USA fined BetMGM for $260,905 because the operator allowed 152 self-excluded players to gamble. Australia fined VicBet for $130,000 for targeting post-self-excluded users with bonuses and promos intending to open their closed accounts. France fined SPS Betting for €800,000 for the same violation, and it is just a few examples of thousands we read about every day last year.

AI in iGaming 

In 2025, everyone was talking about AI. People were using it, but they were also afraid it might take over everyone’s jobs. Some companies and regulators were very excited and started using AI right away. Others were more skeptical; they thought it was just a trend that people were talking about too much.

In the end, the truth was somewhere in the middle. The big question changed: instead of asking if they should just “try out” AI, people started focusing on how to make AI actually useful for their everyday work.

In 2025, the iGaming world started using AI in a few main ways. First, it helped with the technical side, like keeping data moving smoothly and watching systems to make sure they stayed online. Companies also used AI to test their systems carefully before launching them to make sure everything worked correctly and followed the rules.

But AI wasn’t just for tech teams. It also helped track business results. For example, it helped find ways to keep players happy for longer, make ads more effective, and stop people from cheating or committing fraud. Basically, AI became a “must-have” tool for marketing, handling payments, following legal rules, and even making the games themselves.

For instance, in September, Fast Track released an AI-reengineered CRM system that is intended to replace manual workflows with real-time, automated decision-making. The system processes player behaviour at scale, interprets signals, and executes their actions directly within the CRM. 

Meanwhile, Better Collective introduced Playbook, an AI-driven feature integrated into its sportsbooks, recognizes bet slip images in content and automatically generates sportsbook links with the bet pre-filled, which helps transform affiliate models. 

AI might seem like a controversial technology because it often makes mistakes and isn’t always reliable. To avoid these issues, it is better to use AI only for specific problems or clear opportunities. You also need to have the right systems and data in place, and you must keep everything secure. 

Without these basics, spending money on AI just wastes time and resources without giving much back. In the end, we are still at a stage where only humans can understand the “big picture” and make final decisions, while AI is mostly good at finding patterns.

Cybersecurity

AI was a huge topic in 2025, and it will stay just as important in 2026 and the years after. This is especially true for businesses that handle money and private information. As we use more AI, our digital systems become more connected, but this also makes them more “vulnerable”.

Cyberattacks no longer happen in isolation; because everything is connected on the web, a problem in one area can quickly spread to others. In the past, iGaming companies looked at cybersecurity as just a “boring rule” they had to follow to get a license. Now, it has become a key strategy for everyone. It doesn’t matter if an operator is fully licensed or working in the “gray market" — everyone needs a serious plan to stay safe.

There are a few reasons for this: the amount of data is growing, platforms are more connected than ever, and cyberattacks are getting much smarter.

Regulators now demand that companies do a better job of protecting players and keeping their business running smoothly. Companies also have to follow stricter rules and work hard to keep the trust of their customers. It is almost impossible to do all of this without adding a strong, extra layer of cybersecurity.

In the iGaming world, this is currently showing up as much stronger AML and KYC rules. However, these procedures will likely change and improve next year. This is because hackers and scammers are now using deepfakes and synthetic media to try and trick identity checks. They use these tools to pretend they are someone else and get past the security systems.

To handle these digital challenges well, it is better to have a plan before problems start. Cybercriminals often target employees using phishing, deepfake voices, and social engineering. That is why the best solution is to invest in training for your team. It is also important to create a culture where people feel comfortable reporting a mistake or a suspicious message right away. 

And finally, follow the golden rule: Test everything before a real problem happens. Don’t wait for a real attack to test your readiness. Instead, run simulations and “tabletop exercises”, where the team talks through how to solve a problem. You should do these drills across every part of your business from security and payments to your support team. 

Mergers and Acquisitions Era

As the industry grows, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are becoming very common. The more new companies in the market, the harder it is for a business to grow organically – customers have plenty of choices. To solve this, that is where acquiring or merging with other businesses comes in. This helps them get new customers, better technology, and a stronger position in the market.

At the same time, online gambling has changed the way people look at M&A deals. They are no longer just about “finding opportunities.” Now, they are a necessity: something that every company has to do sooner or later. 

This is natural because the iGaming world is so competitive. In this market, the winner is the one who can scale up quickly and efficiently. That’s why operators use M&A: it helps them reach a top position that might otherwise take years to achieve on their own.

M&A deals open doors to new markets because you can simply buy an operator that already has a license. They also provide new technology and systems, as you can buy companies that already have advanced platforms, AI tools, or smart ways to handle data.

Finally, M&A allows big companies to buy game studios or B2B providers. This gives them exclusive products that are very hard or expensive to copy. By doing this, companies can offer more variety, control the best games, and become stronger in the industry — it’s a total win-win.

According to a report by SoftSwiss, M&A deals are currently dominating the online casino (60.8%) and sports betting (48.6%) sectors for 2026. We also expect to see big growth in social games, casual games (39.3%), and esports (31.8%). This is because these areas need to vary their products, reach new types of people, and find new ways to keep players interested.

Tactical Growth Areas

Besides the “big trends” that moved the whole industry in 2025 and will continue in 2026, many smaller “micro-trends” have appeared. Let’s take a quick look at each one.

Microbetting

Betting on instant events, such as the next play, the next serve in tennis, or a free kick, became almost as popular as AI. It was one of the best ways to keep players interested. Because everything happens so fast, players are completely focused on making quick decisions and have almost no time to stop and think.

Casual Games

In 2025, we saw a big jump in casual games. This includes things like crash games, instant wins, lotteries, wheels of fortune, “mines”, and the others. The main thing about these games is that they are very simple. You don’t need to spend a lot of time learning how to play. You just check the basic rules and start immediately.

These games are popular because they are easy to start, the rounds are very fast, and they work perfectly on mobile phones. Because of this, their popularity grew from 5% in 2020 to 25% in 2025, and this is just the beginning.

Casual games are a huge hit in Latin America, especially in Mexico and Argentina. Between May and August 2025, the number of bets in this category grew by 12% every single month. 

In Europe, only the CIS countries can really compete with Mexico and Argentina, and India and Indonesia in Asia.

Mixing Casino and Sportsbook 

Choosing to offer only an online casino or only a sportsbook is now a thing of the past. Today, operators try to combine both areas to meet the players' needs. This increases the Lifetime Value (LTV) of players by up to 50% compared to customers who only bet on sports.

Formula 1 in Betting

The popularity of racing completely changed sports betting in 2025. This sport is seeing a huge wave of global interest: the number of fans has grown by 12%, and now more than 826 million people follow the races worldwide. In the US alone, an average of 1.3 million people watch every race.

Pop culture played a big part in this, thanks to Hollywood movies, and voilà, now everyone wants to bet on racing! Besides betting on who will win the whole season, companies can now offer live betting and micro-markets. This means you can bet on things like the fastest lap, pit stop times, when the safety car will appear, or even who will lead the very next lap. This is where the “micro-betting” trend we mentioned earlier really comes to life.

Where to Find Opportunities in iGaming in 2026

Finding the best jurisdiction for an iGaming business is a task that you can never truly finish. The year 2025 showed us this very clearly: some markets opened up, while others closed down. Because of this, it is still hard to say exactly where the best place to start is right now.

Europe is making its rules stricter and more expensive. America is closing “loopholes”, like sweepstake casinos. Asia is moving away from making gambling legal, and in the Middle East, new markets like the UAE are just starting with very strict regulations.

Africa is trying to create official national rules and find new ways to collect taxes. In Oceania, New Zealand is planning to open up, while Australia is making its rules much tougher. It is almost impossible to find a perfect “middle ground.”

The truth is, the same market can be a great success for one company and a total failure for another. The only advice that always works is this: find what fits your specific business goals.

If you want to finish the biggest part of your New Year’s Resolution in January 2026, book a quick 15-minute consultation with us. We will help you find the solution that is right for you.