2024 saw gambling industry regulators across the globe issue financial penalties totaling $184.4 million (€177.9 million/£148.2 million).
Fines fell by 73.3% compared to 2023’s fines which totaled a record-breaking $442.6 million. There were 7o fines issued during the calendar year compared to 96 in 2024.
Spain Tops List of Most Fines
Spain’s Ministry for Consumer Affairs set a new record with €65,325,000 in fines issued to online gambling operators during 2024. The fines were issued to 15 gambling operators. 13 of those were gambling companies that were operating in the local market without a license. As a result of the fines issued in 2024, the total financial penalties in Spain have reached €398 million since 2021.
Australian gambling regulators issued fines totaling $58.5 million in 2024, significant drop on the $311.4 million issued in 2023. The largest fine of the year saw the Federal Court of Australia order SkyCity Adelaide Pty Ltd to pay a fine of AU$67 million ($44.6million /€41 million) fine following proceedings initiated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) collected $25.7 million in fines. The largest fine issued saw Gammix Ltd pay a $21.3 million penalty for illegal gambling — a record fine for the regulator.
A busy year saw the Swedish regulator, Spelinspektionen, collect $11.5 million in fines. The largest of those fines saw Spooniker fined $2.7 million for offering unauthorized bonuses.
US gaming commission issued penalties of $9.4 million across 2024. The largest fine came in January of 2024 when the US Justice Department fined MGM Resorts $7.5 million in relation to illegal sports betting operations that former president and chief operating officer of Resorts World Las Vegas, Scott Sibella, was aware of.
The UK Gambling Commission collected just £6.6 million ($8.4 million) in 2024, down significantly from the £214.2 million collected in the previous year. The UKGC’s largest fine came in January when Gamesys Operations Limited was fined £6 million ($7.6 million/€6.9 million) for social responsibility and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failings.
Fines by Country
| Country | Total Fines US$ / € / £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | $69.3 million / €65.3 million / £55.3 million |
| Australia | $58.5 million / €56.2 million / £43.2 million |
| Netherlands | $25.7 million / €24.6 million / £20.3 million |
| Sweden | $11.5 million / €11 million / £9 million |
| USA | $9.4 million / €9 million / £7.3 million |
| UK | $8.4 million / €8 million / £6.6 million |
| Finland | $3 million / €2.9 million / £2.4 million |
| Italy | $1.4 million / €1.3 million / £1.1 million |
| Canada (Ontario) | $21,483 / €20,652 / £16,969 |
A full breakdown of all fines issued throughout 2024 can be found on our Gambling Industry Fines page.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.
