European iGaming Developments Covered in DATA.BET’s 2025 Sportsbook Report

The supplier’s yearly report discusses how operators are being forced to reconsider their business models as 2026 approaches due to growing taxation and regulatory changes throughout European markets. In particular, European Sportsbook operators are being forced to reevaluate where and how they operate because of increased taxes and stricter regulations in various European regions. DATA.BET published its annual sportsbook report, which included a study of the market forces it anticipates will influence the upcoming year as well as performance indicators from its Esports, sports, and virtual verticals.

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Report performance metrics

The annual Sportsbook Report from DATA.BET, a provider of sportsbook solutions for esports, sports, and virtual sports, details the company’s performance in 2025 and outlines the industry dynamics it expects will continue to have an impact on European operators in 2026. The report’s main statistic is a self-reported average of 23% rise in client rate among DATA.BET’s partner base in 2025. A summary of important KPIs for the company’s three verticals, esports, sports, and virtuals, as well as what data is included in the publication.BET describes itself as a useful manual for casino companies thinking about opening a sportsbook in 2026.

Changes in operational models and regulatory pressure

The company claims that growing tax and regulatory pressure in European nations is a major issue from 2025 and is making companies reconsider their operational models. This pressure is well-documented throughout the continent: according to a February 2026 research by DLA Piper, national internet gambling tax rates vary from about 5% to over 40% among EU member states, generating what it refers to as an increasing financial risk factor for multi-jurisdiction companies. Italy introduced a new nine-year concession scheme with a €7 million licensing charge and an additional 3% yearly tax on net earnings, while the Netherlands increased the tax rate to 37.8% starting in January 2026.

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Demand for eSports and lower-level competition

Using high-engagement events like Valorant semi-professional matches as an example, the report also highlights the increasing operator demand for coverage of lower-tier eSports competitions. This is similar to DATA, a more general trend in the eSports betting industry. According to BET’s own Q3 2025 results, League of Legends, another game with active semi-professional circuits, went from fourth to second in betting popularity on the platform, with turnover up 290% year over year, while Valorant player props grew in both pre-match and live formats during that time.

In June 2025, DATA.BET changed its focus from esports and virtual sports to traditional sports betting, covering over 50,000 sporting events every month in over 63 pre-match and 38 live sports disciplines. As a result, the 2025 Sportsbook Report is the first yearly report to include performance information from all three verticals at once.

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Source: europeangaming.eu