The global iGaming industry is entering a new era defined by tightening regulatory landscapes and intense competition, with regulation and compliance now surpassing all other concerns for executives, according to an industry report.
The “iGaming Future 2026: Core Trends and Challenges” report by EvenBet Gaming, an online gaming solutions provider specializing in poker software based on in-person surveys of over 700 professionals, highlights a sector under growing pressure from governments and major technology platforms alike.
Regulation accounts for 19 percent of all pressing issues cited by respondents, followed by Competition at 17 percent, and Responsible gaming issues at 13 percent. This pressure signals a sector shift from aggressive geographical expansion—the primary focus in 2024—to one prioritizing strengthening presence in existing markets.
The report details a fragmented but universally stricter regulatory environment across key global markets, with Asia showing some of the most dramatic shifts. In India, a comprehensive new law prohibits all money-based online games and services, removing the legal distinction between games of skill and chance and introducing penalties of up to three years in jail.
At the same time, the Philippines banned all offshore gambling operators (POGOs) activities while reducing the tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR) for local operators to encourage legalization. In Europe, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced a ban on bonuses with wagering requirements exceeding ten times the initial stake, while the Netherlands implemented a complete ban on sports sponsorship by iGaming operators.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, Brazil is regulating its market, imposing a new 18 percent tax on GGR and prohibiting the use of money symbols in advertising, and Colombia introduced a 19 percent VAT on player deposits to increase taxation.
Platform giants impose new restrictions
The regulatory tightening is not just coming from state bodies but also from major private enterprises. In 2025, global technology platforms enacted sweeping policies that significantly restricted how iGaming companies can operate and advertise. Google implemented stricter global rules, requiring mandatory Ads Gambling Certification for each country and domain and explicitly banning personalized gambling advertisements.
Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) replaced its previous “whitelist” of approved countries with a blacklist, shifting the full legal responsibility for compliance onto advertisers.
Furthermore, Telegram marked a major policy shift, moving from a crypto and iGaming-friendly platform to one of the most restrictive, implementing a mass deplatforming of gambling bots and channels and adopting a “zero-tolerance policy” for new gambling projects.
To counteract rising customer acquisition costs caused by marketing restrictions and market saturation, the industry is heavily investing in technology and localized marketing. The top three implemented innovations are focused on improving the player experience: Personalized customer experience (21 percent), New game mechanics (20 percent), and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) implementation (19 percent).
Affiliates, in particular, are leading the rapid adoption of AI to generate content, detect fraud, and automate campaign management. Regarding marketing, effective social media marketing is globally the top priority.
However, the report cautions that a uniform strategy no longer works, necessitating localized strategies due to significantly varying platform preferences and successful tactics between regions like Europe and Asia.
Experts predict the iGaming market will face a phase of “severe market selection” in 2026, where only well-capitalized and flexible companies can thrive by combining scale, technology, and operational agility to successfully navigate the complex, fragmented regulatory landscape.
