In the iGB studio at the 2026 Barcelona ICE exhibition, a heated debate focusing on the future of the iGaming industry unfolded. Industry "external thinkers" such as Alea founder Alex Tomic, LiveScore Group CEO Sam Sadi, and iGamingConsultant.eu Strategy Director Henk Wolf gathered to discuss the core issue of whether the iGaming industry can continue to thrive against the backdrop of tightening global regulations. High taxes, strict product rules, and marketing restrictions are changing the economic model of operators and even reshaping the investment market landscape, triggering deep reflections on survival and development across the industry. Relevant iGaming industry regulatory compliance cases and trend analysis can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Core Pain Point: 30% Tax Rate Becomes the "Life and Death Line" of the Industry
Panel guests unanimously believe that taxes and regulations are not only compressing profits but also defining market viability:
Tax rate threshold key: Guests repeatedly mentioned that 30% is a critical tipping point, once the tax rate exceeds this level, licensed operators will struggle to compete with illegal platforms;
Black market expansion: High tax rates have not suppressed illegal activities, but instead have given the black market a price advantage, attracting a large number of players to turn to unregulated channels, creating a "the more regulation, the more chaos" embarrassing situation;
High operating costs: In addition to high taxes, strict product compliance requirements, marketing restrictions, etc., further push up operating costs, squeezing the living space of licensed enterprises.
Regulatory Increase: Legal Market Forces Capital Outflow
From Europe, the United States to Latin America, the global trend of tightening regulations presents a unified trend, bringing significant industry impact:
Players flow to the black market: tougher regulation reduces the attractiveness of the legal market, and players, in pursuit of lower costs or more flexible experiences, turn to unregulated illegal channels;
Capital transfer risk avoidance: Sadi bluntly stated that this is no longer a "confrontation" but an "adaptation" issue, when the legal market becomes difficult to operate, capital will directly flow to environments with more lenient and favorable regulations;
Market differentiation intensifies: Differences in regulatory policies cause the global iGaming market to experience "a world of ice and fire," with industry growth stalling in some strictly regulated areas, while relaxed areas attract a large influx of investment.
Innovation Shift: From Product Design to "Compliance Evasion"
Facing regulatory pressure, the direction of industry innovation has quietly changed, with compliance becoming the core consideration:
Innovation focus shift: Guests believe that industry innovation no longer focuses on upgrading product experience but shifts towards finding "compliance loopholes" in existing laws, avoiding regulatory restrictions through legal design;
Typical response modes: Sweepstake models, prediction markets, cryptocurrency casinos, etc., are all lawyer-led design solutions that blur the boundaries between licensed and unlicensed operations;
Essential industry change: This "compliance-first" innovation logic shifts the iGaming industry from "product-driven" to "policy-driven," making the legal and compliance teams of enterprises increasingly important.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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