Optimove data shows retention recovery across four European markets
Analysis from Optimove, reported by EGR, finds player retention bounced back in Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK in September after a dip tied to last year's World Cup.
Player retention recovered across Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom in September, according to analysis from Optimove reported by EGR, reversing a dip the previous month that the report links to the aftermath of the World Cup.
The figures cover the 12 months to September 2026 and are drawn from an average of 6.2 million active players per month across the four markets.
Sports betting spend extended its recovery for a second straight month in three of the four countries as domestic football leagues resumed. Average monthly sports betting amounts reached $813 in Greece, $726 in Spain and $345 in the UK, with Greece and Spain both moving back above their respective 12-month trailing averages. Italy was the exception, slipping slightly to $441 from $448 the previous month.
EGR's report suggests operators can use the return of domestic football fixtures to run sports-led promotions designed to funnel returning bettors into casino products as a cross-sell strategy.
Deposit levels were broadly flat month on month. Greece recorded the highest average deposit of the four markets at $577 in September, down slightly from $580 in August, having ranged as high as $618 in December 2025 and as low as $515 in June — roughly double the levels seen elsewhere in the region across the period. Italy eased marginally from $308 to $302, staying within the narrow $295-to-$334 band it occupied throughout the 12 months. Spain fell 4.6%, from $324 to $309, though this kept it above its 12-month average of $292. The UK was the only market to post a rise, edging up from $279 to $281 and continuing a climb from a low of $220 in April.
Casino betting amounts pulled back slightly in most markets during September. Spain, which recorded the highest casino bet totals in the region across the full 12 months with a trailing average of $3,188, fell from $3,511 to $3,376. Greece dropped from $2,971 to $2,909, and the UK eased from $1,321 to $1,232. Italy bucked the trend with a 4.2% rise, from $1,681 to $1,751. Greece, Spain and the UK all remained above their respective 12-month averages despite the monthly dip.
Engagement, measured by the average number of activity days per player, rose in three of the four markets. Spain increased from 8.3 to 9.0 days and Italy from 7.6 to 8.0 days, pushing both above their 12-month averages. The UK edged up from 8.5 to 8.7 days. Greece, which recorded the highest activity levels in the region throughout the period, was broadly stable, dipping slightly from 11.3 to 11.2 days.
Taken together, the figures point to a region where deposit behaviour has stayed largely steady even as engagement and sports betting activity pick up with the new domestic football season, following the disruption that the World Cup brought to monthly averages over the summer.