Commercial
iGaming
iGaming: online real-money gambling
Definition
iGaming is real-money gambling conducted over the internet, on websites and mobile apps, covering online casino, sports betting, poker, bingo and lottery, together with the industry of licensed operators and B2B suppliers that builds and runs those products. The word is a contraction of "internet gaming", where gaming carries its legal sense of gambling rather than video games.
Usage varies by market. In Europe and in most trade usage, iGaming is the umbrella for every online gambling vertical. In the United States it usually has a narrower meaning: online casino games, often including poker, as distinct from online sports betting, and the American Gaming Association reports the two as separate revenue lines. Statutes tend to use other words: Great Britain's Gambling Act 2005 regulates "remote gambling", while New Jersey law refers to "Internet gaming". Free-to-play and social casino games are not iGaming, because no real-money prize is at stake.
Key takeaways
- iGaming is real-money gambling delivered over the internet or mobile apps, and the industry of operators and suppliers that provides it.
- In Europe the term usually covers every online vertical; in the United States it usually means online casino and poker, reported separately from online sports betting.
- Statutes rarely use the word: Great Britain regulates "remote gambling" and New Jersey law refers to "Internet gaming".
- The American Gaming Association put US iGaming revenue at $10.74 billion for 2025, up 27.6%, from seven states with legal online casino.
Why it matters
For B2B companies, iGaming is less a product than a value chain. A single spin on an online slot touches the studio that built the game, the remote gaming server that runs its maths, an aggregator that distributes it, the iGaming platform that holds the player account and wallet, payment and identity-verification providers, and the licensed operator whose brand the player sees. Each layer has its own revenue model, from a share of gaming revenue to fixed licence fees, and its own regulatory exposure, because suppliers increasingly need their own licences or certification in each market. The iGaming value chain course maps who earns what.
The gap between the European and American meanings has commercial consequences. A European supplier calling itself an iGaming business usually means casino, sports and lottery; a US investor reading the same phrase usually hears online casino only, which was legal in seven states at the end of 2025, with Maine expected to follow, while online sports betting is legal far more widely. Market sizing, addressable-market claims in pitch decks and analyst models all depend on which meaning is in use, so the scope should be stated rather than assumed.
The legal status of iGaming is set market by market. Most of Europe licenses it; large parts of the US, Asia and Latin America do not, and that is where grey and black markets operate. The regulatory map tracks where each vertical is licensed.
iGaming vs Online gambling vs Real Money Gaming (RMG)
| iGaming | Online gambling |
|---|---|
| In US usage, iGaming usually means online casino games and often poker, and is reported as a separate vertical from online sports betting. In European trade usage it is a synonym for all online gambling. | Online gambling is the plain-English umbrella for every form of real-money betting and gaming conducted remotely, including sports betting, casino, poker, bingo and lottery, whatever the market. |
A US figure for "iGaming revenue" excludes online sports betting, while a European one usually includes it. Comparing the two without checking scope overstates or understates a market by billions.
| iGaming | Real Money Gaming (RMG) |
|---|---|
| iGaming is defined by the channel: real-money gambling delivered over the internet, plus the online industry behind it. | Real money gaming is defined by the stake: any gambling with real currency at risk, online or land-based, in contrast to social casino and free-to-play games. |
Suppliers use RMG to separate regulated gambling content from social gaming, and iGaming to separate online from retail. A game studio can be RMG and land-based without being an iGaming supplier.
The bottom line
iGaming means real-money gambling online and the industry that supplies it. The trap is scope: Europe uses it for every online vertical and the US mostly for online casino, so say which you mean before quoting a market size.
Sources
- Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker: CY 2025 - American Gaming Association
- Gambling Act 2005, section 4: Remote gambling - legislation.gov.uk
- Casino Control Act, Article 6C: Internet Gaming - New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Frequently asked questions
What does iGaming mean?
iGaming is short for internet gaming, where gaming means gambling. It refers to real-money gambling played online or on mobile apps, including online casino, sports betting, poker, bingo and lottery, and to the industry of operators and technology suppliers that provides those products. Social casino and free-to-play games, where nothing of monetary value can be won, are not iGaming.
What is the difference between iGaming and online gambling?
In Europe the two are largely interchangeable. In the United States, iGaming usually refers to online casino games and poker only, and online sports betting is treated as a separate vertical: the American Gaming Association reports iGaming revenue and sports betting revenue as different lines. Online gambling is the broader term covering all of them.
What is an iGaming company?
An iGaming company is any business that operates or supplies online real-money gambling. B2C operators hold licences and run consumer brands. B2B suppliers provide the parts behind them: game studios, remote gaming servers, aggregators, player account platforms, sportsbook engines, payments, identity checks and data. Many groups do both, supplying technology to other operators while running their own brands.
Is iGaming legal in the United States?
Only in some states. Online sports betting is legal in many more states than online casino, which was legal in seven at the end of 2025, with New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan the largest markets; the American Gaming Association expected Maine to launch in late 2026. Each state licenses and taxes it separately, and federal law does not authorise it nationally.