Gambling on the Rise in Denmark, the UK, and Sweden

Europe’s gambling industry saw big shifts in 2024, with online growth in the UK, Denmark, and Sweden shaping the market.

The gambling industry across Europe experienced huge shifts in 2024, with Denmark, the UK, Sweden, and many of the major markets seeing immense growth. The biggest drive behind this rise is online gambling!

While digital platforms continued to dominate, each country faced its own unique trends and challenges, from record-breaking revenues in the UK to increasing self-exclusion rates in Denmark and the decline of land-based casinos in Sweden.

Here’s a closer look at how gambling evolved in these three markets in 2024 and what it means for 2025 and beyond:

Denmark: Revenue skyrocketed to $1.02 billion

Denmark’s gambling industry saw a 6.9% rise in gross gambling revenue (GGR) in 2024, reaching DKK 7.27 billion ($1.02 billion), according to Spillemyndigheden. Danish online casinos were the biggest contributor, growing 14.7% year-over-year to DKK 3.53 billion ($500 million), making up 48.6% of the total market.

In terms of the games played most in Denmark, slots remained the most popular games, generating nearly 78% of online casino revenue. This was followed closely by blackjack (6.7%) and roulette (6.4%).

Sports betting revenue increased only slightly by 1.2% to DKK 2.21 billion, with mobile gambling dominating with a 70.4% rise. Land-based casinos saw a slight 1.7% rise to DKK 368 million, while gaming machines outside of casinos declined by 1.2% to DKK 1.16 billion.

Player protection and responsible gambling were key focus areas. The number of self-excluded gamblers rose by 21% to 55,899. The StopSpillet helpline recorded more consultations, mostly from young male gamblers.

United Kingdom: Booming gambling sector saw a 21% increase

The UK gambling market recorded a strong performance in Q3 of 2024. UK online casinos are primarily to blame, as the online gross gambling yield (GGY) jumped by 21% year-over-year to £1.54 billion ($1.91 billion).

Online slots played a huge role in this growth, increasing by 15% to £709 million, while real event betting jumped by 38% to £647 million, reaching its highest level since 2021! Overall, the number of bets placed fell by 7%, but bookmaker-friendly outcomes seem to have contributed to the revenue increase.

Retail betting shops also saw impressive growth, with GGY up 5% to £592 million. Self-Service Betting Terminal (SSBT) revenue spiked 32% to £153 million, reaching record highs for these terminals. However, machine gaming revenue declined by 5% to £280 million.

Safer gambling initiatives were a huge focus for the UKGC, with player interactions rising 23%, mainly through automated systems. Operator interventions also grew by 12%, which signals a real improvement in both harm detection and player protection.

Sweden: Gambling revenue climbed to a massive $2.62 billion

Sweden’s gambling revenue increased by 2.65% in 2024, reaching SEK27.85 billion ($2.62 billion). Swedish online casinos stayed the most dominant, growing by 5% to SEK17.84 billion ($1.68 billion). State lotteries and slot machines also grew by 2.2% to SEK5.72 billion ($538.27 million), while non-profit games and national lotteries rose by 2.6% to SEK3.70 billion ($348.84 million).

While this is impressive, the country’s land-based casino sector faced many challenges and took a real knock. Following the many Casino Cosmopol closures in early 2024, a massive revenue drop of 66.3% was recorded.

The sector fell to SEK160 million ($15.04 million). The Swedish government has proposed shutting down its last remaining casino by January 2026, a move that Spelinspektionen and other regulators fear could push players toward illegal casinos.

The last quarter of 2024 was Sweden’s most profitable, with the total revenue rising by 7.6% year-over-year to SEK7.61 billion ($715.44 million). Online gambling and state lotteries were the key growth drivers.

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By Deni

Verified Casino Expert

Expertise: Casino Content Writing, Journalism & (PR), Gambling Regulations, Dutch & German Gambling Markets

Hi, I'm Deni! I'm a research obsessive with a passion for gambling regulations, market trends, and casino news. I dig deep into every topic I cover - so every article, review, or guide I write is built on solid research and real detail.

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Last updated: April 2, 2025

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Gambling on the rise in Denmark, the UK, and Sweden

Denmark: Revenue skyrocketed to $1.02 billion

United Kingdom: Booming gambling sector saw a 21% increase