SOFTSWISS says iGaming will generate €307.3 billion in GGR in 2026 as AI, payments and regulation tighten the screws

SOFTSWISS’ 2027 iGaming Trends Report argues that iGaming is becoming an early test bed for AI, cybersecurity, payments and regulation, with direct implications for PSPs working in high-risk verticals. The headline numbers are useful on their own, but the more practical takeaway is that the sector’s operational pressure is pushing vendors toward faster automation, tighter fraud controls and more regulator-friendly infrastructure.

1. The report, published by SOFTSWISS in partnership with WorldGaming (formerly Clarion Gaming), is now in its fifth year and is based on a survey of more than 500 iGaming professionals, input from over 65 industry experts, desk research, proprietary market data and contributions from WorldGaming, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Pentasia, BGaming and FinteqHub.
2. According to H2 Gambling Capital data cited in the report, the global iGaming market is expected to generate €307.3 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2026. That puts it fourth in the report’s benchmark of eight industries with significant digital business models, behind e-commerce, sports and film.
3. The same data set shows the sector recorded a compound annual growth rate of 29.95% between 2019 and 2026, and is forecast to grow by a further 9% annually between 2027 and 2031, reaching approximately €461.84 billion in gross gaming revenue by 2031.
4. SOFTSWISS says its Digital Maturity Index gives iGaming a score of 4.67 out of 5, the highest of the eight industries assessed. The score is based on AI adoption, mobile-first infrastructure, digital customer acquisition, payments innovation, RegTech adoption and data-driven decision-making.
5. Alexandra Kavelich, Deputy Chief Marketing Officer, said iGaming faces the same core problems as other digital businesses: real-time transaction processing, consumer protection, fraud detection, product personalisation and operating across multiple regulated markets. Her point is simple enough: what gets stress-tested in iGaming now tends to show up elsewhere later, including fintech, SaaS and e-commerce.

The report also says AI proficiency is becoming a baseline expectation across product, marketing, technology and operations, while companies are moving to leaner teams and creating new roles such as AI product managers, AI artists and heads of AI. For PSPs, the useful read-through is that the buyer side in this segment is not just asking for payment acceptance anymore; it is asking for speed, fraud controls, compliance tooling and infrastructure that can keep up with tighter operating models.