iGaming market weekly report | Dec 22–28, 2025

Our weekly digest monitors where iGaming player interest is heating up or pulling back, based on week-over-week (WoW) movements in Blask Index.

Week’s headline

AFCON and the Christmas lottery lift two regions. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicked off Dec 21 in Morocco, driving continent-wide betting engagement. In Europe, Sweden surged +35.9% after a $1.7M Eurojackpot win.

Note: WoW changes reflect Blask Index data; catalysts cited only when publicly documented during Dec 22–28.

Top gainers

1. Sweden +35.9% — Eurojackpot win lifted holiday search intensity.
2. Ivory Coast +32.7% — Title defense began with the AFCON opener victory over Mozambique.
3. Ireland +22.4% — Leopardstown Christmas Festival attracted Grade 1 racing action Dec 26–29.
4. Tanzania +20.3% — Taifa Stars’ AFCON campaign kicked off with a 2-1 loss to Nigeria.
5. Czech Republic +19.8%.

Top decliners

1. Ethiopia -42.1% — betting shutdown accelerated declines.
2. Colombia -34.4% — Senate rejected permanent 19% VAT; temporary tax expires Dec 31.
3. Panama -19.2%.
4. Costa Rica -18.5%.
5. Bolivia -17.4% — New president abolished gambling tax in fiscal reform.

Spotlight: Sweden | +35.9%

Sweden rose +35.9% WoW, coinciding with a high-visibility Eurojackpot $1.7M win that generated broad, mainstream coverage. This drove a corresponding spike in related search activity — precisely the type of attention Blask Index captures.

Large lottery wins reliably become a media news hook. Once picked up by outlets and social channels, that story converts passive awareness into active behavior: people immediately search for the jackpot amount, results, rules, and participating operators. 

That incremental, short-window search volume is exactly what lifts Blask Index — market’s measured attention signal — especially during holiday weeks when leisure time and “small-stakes aspiration” behaviors are elevated.

Regional snapshot

Latin America & Caribbean

Region-wide softness reflects US tariff uncertainty weighing on FDI (down 53% H1 2025) and structural low growth. Colombia’s 19% VAT impact, Bolivia’s political transition, and Central American exposure to US trade policy created headwinds.

Europe

Christmas week lifted regional betting activity. Sweden surged after the Eurojackpot win, split among ten players. Czech Republic gained on holiday betting engagement. Ireland rode Leopardstown Christmas Festival with seven Grade 1 races. UK Boxing Day scaled back to a single Premier League fixture for the first time; remaining matches spread across Dec 27–28.

Africa

The AFCON 2025 group stage dominated regional betting activity. The tournament kicked off Dec 21 in Morocco with 24 nations competing across six host cities. High-profile matchups included Egypt vs South Africa (Dec 26) and Nigeria vs Tunisia (Dec 27), driving engagement across the continent. Host nation Morocco enters as heavy favorite after their 2022 World Cup semifinal run.

Next week’s watchlist

• Africa — AFCON 2025 group stage continues through Jan 4, with Round 3 decisive matches determining knockout qualifiers. Expect elevated betting volumes across participating nations.
• Colombia — Temporary 19% VAT on gambling expires Dec 31 after the Senate rejected permanent extension. Operators and regulators face uncertainty heading into 2026; watch for policy signals or emergency measures.
• UK — Premier League New Year fixtures (Jan 1, 3–4) drive peak seasonal betting activity. Busiest wagering window of the English football calendar.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.