TLDR Unregulated online gambling now represents $5.9 trillion in wagering value, making it the world’s third-largest economy behind only the US and China 78% of the online gaming market operates without licenses, while only 22% is regulated and compliant Gaming Compliance International calls unregulated online gambling the biggest cybercrime worldwide A growing “unacknowledged” category includes social casinos, sweepstakes, skins trading, and TikTok contests GCI says consumers see one marketplace where regulated and unregulated products compete equally, leading to rising risks and tax losses The Scale of Unregulated Online Gambling
A new report from Gaming Compliance International has put a number on the size of unregulated online gambling worldwide. The consultancy estimates it now reaches $5.9 trillion in wagering value.
That figure would make unregulated online gambling the world’s third-largest economic system. GCI says only the legitimate economies of the United States and China are larger.
The report, titled Online Gaming 2025: Global, breaks the market into regulated and unregulated segments. According to GCI, 78% of the online gaming market is unregulated.
That means the vast majority of online gambling activity is happening outside of any licensing framework. Only 22% of the market is identified as licensed and compliant by governments.
GCI describes itself as a consultancy that uses an AI-driven platform to help policymakers understand and respond to the online gaming industry. The company released its findings on Monday.
GCI chief executive Matt Holt said regulators are dealing with a dominant problem rather than a minor one. He said most activity is happening beyond the regulated perimeter.
GCI president Ismail Vali said the industry now operates as a three-sector marketplace in every jurisdiction. Those three sectors are regulated, unregulated, and what GCI calls unacknowledged activity.
The Rise of Unacknowledged Gambling Products
Vali described a third layer of