The recent COVID-19 pandemic has devastated several industries around the world, tourism and hospitality in particular. However, a crisis for one industry represents an opportunity for another.
In spite of the virus, the global gambling industry continues to grow and shows no sign of stopping. A comprehensive analysis conducted by Global Industry Analysts shows that the industry is set to grow at 3.6% every year until 2026. In a global context, this will amount to millions of extra gamblers joining the system every year.
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The remainder of this article will explore the state of the gambling industry around the world.
Online Gambling Worldwide
There is no question that these impressive growth rates are being driven by modern technological innovations. Increased levels of internet connectivity, coupled with more powerful smartphones and tablets, meaning that online casinos have become increasingly popular.
It’s also clear that gambling sites are going from strength to strength. The best gambling sites offer intuitive, exciting and engaging platforms. This is especially true for the typical sports gambling website, where the ability to bet on almost anything can add some adrenaline to even the most boring match.
Access to the very best gambling sites and best mobile casinos will ensure that the industry will continue to grow.
Gambling in Europe
It’s become abundantly clear that Europeans have a real appetite for gambling. It doesn’t matter if it’s after work, during the weekend or at some other time, Europeans love to visit an online casino. The continent is home to some of the world’s best gambling websites, something that ties in well with Europeans’ love affair with football.
Given the sums of money that are involved, national governments have taken an interest in the gambling habits of their citizens. Surprisingly, it’s the Finnish people who are the biggest gamblers in Europe, as more than 40% of them gamble every week. The impressive progressive slots jackpot amounts on offer mean that Finns love to play slots games.
Online casino Europe platforms accounted for approximately 30% of the continent’s overall betting market in 2021. This is projected to grow to almost 34% within the next 4 years. This isn’t overly surprising because there are several benefits of visiting casinos online rather than in person.
First of all, it’s a lot more convenient to gamble from the comfort of your living room than it is to travel into a busy casino. A lot of credit also needs to go to gambling software providers because modern games are truly fantastic.
Gambling in Asia
This region of the world has been on a positive upward economic trajectory in recent decades. As the Asian people have started to acquire disposable income, they have also started to flock towards their best gamble sites. Once they got their first taste of online casino games, Asians have entered the gambling market in their droves.
This part of the world accounts for approximately 60% of the global population, so it’s only logical that it’s the largest online casino win real money market in the world. Alongside Las Vegas, Macau stands as the gambling Mecca of the world, with it attracting millions of annual tourists in the days before COVID.
One interesting observation is that gambling appears to have become deeply rooted within Asian culture. Research indicates that Asian society’s affinity towards gambling can be explained by their cultural norms and traditions. A belief in luck, fate and fortune is embedded within many Asian societies. This makes the allure of winning big on online casino real money platforms extremely appealing.
Gambling in UK
It’s not a big secret that there’s a strong gambling culture within the UK, and that they enjoy a good online gamble. A recent statistical study conducted by statistica.com proves that this reputation is justified. A significant finding was that 32% of adults in the UK gamble at least once a week. In 2019, the British gambling market was valued at a staggering £14 billion, meaning that it makes a colossal contribution to the overall economy.
There are several reasons why gambling is so popular in the UK. First of all, it’s entirely legal and heavily regulated, so there are no legal impediments placed on visiting gaming sites online. In addition, there is also a strong cultural element because if you see all of your friends doing it, then there is no stigma attached.
UK online casinos have also boomed in popularity over the past few years. Online casino bonus codes have been very effective in persuading new people to join the platforms. Trends indicate that gambling is only set to become more popular here in the coming years.
Gambling in Germany
Germany stands as one of the world’s economic powerhouses, so you’d imagine it would be a lucrative region for the best payouts online casino platforms. However, this is certainly not the case. Historically, the German government has taken a very dim view of the gambling industry, with most activities being outlawed.
This is a very contemporary discussion because Germany changed their online casino free play laws during 2021. Specifically, the “Glücksspielstaatsvertrag” (State Treaty on Gambling) was ratified on July 1st 2021. This was a very significant moment for the gambling industry because it finally permitted German citizens to legally access online casino win real money platforms.
As such, it really is no exaggeration to say that online gambling is a German industry in its infancy. It will take at least a year’s worth of data to fully understand the trends and habits of the German online gambling community. However, seeing as the Bundesliga football league is an institution, it would be reasonable to suggest that sports betting will prove to be very popular with the Germans.
Gambling in Switzerland
Switzerland is an industrious and prosperous nation that offers its citizens a very high quality of life. From looking at the data, we can quickly deduce that Swiss citizens enjoy gambling. In 2020, the Swiss gambling industry generated approximately US$700 million of turnover. However, much like Germany, the country is a bit of a latecomer to the online casino win real money party.
On the very first day of 2019, Switzerland enacted the Federal Act on Money Games. This was a significant day, as it meant that online gambling became a legal activity in Switzerland. The floodgates opened, and the uptake was huge.
With lots of Swiss gamblers flocking to the best gaming sites online, we’ve been able to see what their favourite games are. Like many other countries, the table games like poker and blackjack have proved to be very popular. In addition, online casino free spins slot games have quickly become fan favourites. Microgaming’s ever-popular Mega Moolah slot game has established itself as the most popular slot game in Switzerland.
Gambling in USA
All around the world, America is recognized as the land of the free and the home of the brave. To gamblers, it’s also known as a little slice of heaven. Las Vegas is the gambling capital of the world, so it should come as no surprise that Americans have an insatiable appetite for gambling.
Research indicates that 85% of American adults have gambled at least once in their lives. The entire US gambling market is valued at $260 billion. To try and put that number into perspective, it would be equivalent to every American adult spending approximately $800 on gambling every year.
However, whilst Americans clearly love their gambling, some of them may not have access to online casino games real money services. From a legal perspective, online gambling is legal at the federal level in the USA. In practical terms, what this means is that each state is free to make online gambling either legal or illegal.
At the time of writing, online gambling was permitted in over 70% of American states, with some others in the process of legalizing it. In light of this, projections indicate that online gambling alone will be worth $93 billion to the US economy by 2024.
Gambling in Canada
Canada is a progressive nation that tends to be at the forefront of the latest global trends. The statistics show that the same is also true for online gambling, with Canadians visiting online casino with no deposit bonus services in their millions.
The latest market research tells us that 19.3 million Canadians are actively gambling. This is a gargantuan figure, with Canada now being the eighth-largest consumer of online casino games in the world.
However, the news for the Canadian gambling industry is not all good. Industry revenue has been decreasing year on year for the past number of years. This phenomenon has been attributed to two different things; competition from console gaming and the legalization of online gambling in America.
There is a high degree of market concentration within the Canadian gambling industry. Five different service providers generate around 80% of the country’s total gambling revenue. These online casino bonus services are tried and trusted by Canadian gamblers, meaning that a new casino looking to enter the market may struggle.
Gambling in Australia
All around the world, Australians are known as a fun-loving bunch that knows how to let their hair down. When you consider this, it only makes sense that they would have a large gambling industry. At the beginning of the year, the results of a nationwide study showed that half of Australians gamble regularly.
One of the most eye-opening statistics is that the average Australian spends AUS$1,260 every year on gambling. To put it another way, they spend AUS$4 every day! When you combine this inherent love of gambling with a pandemic, you have a recipe for online casino Australia platforms gaining thousands of new customers.
Another interesting statistic is that the split between males and females is not as drastic as you may think. Statistical analyses have shown that 45% of the people availing of online casino Australia real money platforms are female. This is a great reflection of Australia’s casinos, as it showcases that there really is something for everyone to play and enjoy.
Gambling in New Zealand
New Zealand is a place that’s not short of claims to fame. It’s a country known for the luscious green countryside, producing the best rugby team in the world and making expensive Manuka honey. Whilst Kiwis aren’t known for their love of gambling, the numbers show that they can’t get enough of it.
Comprehensive statistical analyses showed that the average New Zealander spends NZ$572 on gambling. What’s more, in spite of the pandemic, Kiwis spent more on gambling in 2020 than they ever have before. The New Zealand government even admitted that the gambling spending had been a major boost to the national economy during a difficult period.
There are certain online casino games that New Zealanders can’t seem to get enough of. Roulette has proven to be a big hit during the lockdown period. It does represent the quintessential gambling experience. Blackjack and poker are also popular, a trend that probably holds true for almost every casino in the world.
Along with the aforementioned games, Kiwi gamblers have a great love for video poker online casino games. New Zealanders really seem to resonate with the adrenaline and unpredictability of the video poker gaming experience. With many top casinos offering lucrative prizes, we see no reason why this trend would change any time soon.
Table of gambling players for 2022
| Country | Population (2022) | Gambling players in 2022 | % of gamblers | Gambling situation in 2022 |
| India | 1,380,004,385 | 400,000,000 | 29% | allowed |
| United States | 331,002,651 | 124,000,000 | 37% | regulated |
| Indonesia | 273,523,615 | – | 0% | not allowed |
| Brazil | 212,559,417 | 72,000,000 | 34% | strictly regulated |
| Nigeria | 206,139,589 | 60,000,000 | 29% | strictly regulated |
| Russia | 145,934,462 | – | 0% | not allowed |
| Mexico | 128,932,753 | – | 0% | allowed |
| Japan | 126,476,461 | – | 0% | strictly regulated |
| Turkey | 84,339,067 | – | 0% | strictly regulated |
| Germany | 83,783,942 | 17,000,000 | 20% | allowed |
| Thailand | 69,799,978 | – | 0% | not allowed |
| United Kingdom | 67,886,011 | 32,000,000 | 47% | allowed |
| France | 65,273,511 | 30,000,000 | 46% | allowed |
| Italy | 60,461,826 | 19,000,000 | 31% | allowed |
| Spain | 46,754,778 | 25,000,000 | 53% | regulated |
| Ukraine | 43,733,762 | – | 0% | allowed |
| Poland | 37,846,611 | – | 0% | not allowed |
| Canada | 37,742,154 | 23,000,000 | 61% | allowed |
| Romania | 19,237,691 | – | 0% | allowed |
| Netherlands | 17,134,872 | 2,000,000 | 12% | regulated |
| Belgium | 11,589,623 | – | allowed | |
| Dominican Republic | 10,847,910 | 2,169,582 | 20% | allowed |
| Czech Republic | 10,708,981 | – | – | allowed |
| Greece | 10,423,054 | – | – | strictly regulated |
| Portugal | 10,196,709 | – | – | allowed |
| Sweden | 10,099,265 | – | – | regulated |
| United Arab Emirates | 9,890,402 | – | – | not allowed |
| Hungary | 9,660,351 | – | – | regulated |
| Austria | 9,006,398 | – | – | allowed |
| Serbia | 8,737,371 | – | – | allowed |
| Israel | 8,655,535 | – | – | not allowed |
| Switzerland | 8,654,622 | – | – | allowed |
| Bulgaria | 6,948,445 | – | – | allowed |
| Singapore | 5,850,342 | – | – | not allowed |
| Denmark | 5,792,202 | – | – | allowed |
| Finland | 5,540,720 | – | – | allowed |
| Slovakia | 5,459,642 | – | – | regulated |
| Norway | 5,421,241 | – | – | strictly regulated |
| New Zealand | 4,822,233 | – | – | allowed |
| Croatia | 4,105,267 | – | – | allowed |
| Moldova | 4,033,963 | – | – | not allowed |
| Georgia | 3,989,167 | – | – | allowed |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,280,819 | – | – | allowed |
| Mongolia | 3,278,290 | – | – | not allowed |
| Armenia | 2,963,243 | – | – | allowed |
| Jamaica | 2,961,167 | – | – | regulated |
| Qatar | 2,881,053 | – | – | not allowed |
| Albania | 2,877,797 | – | – | not allowed |
| Lithuania | 2,722,289 | – | – | strictly regulated |
| Namibia | 2,540,905 | – | – | allowed |
| Gambia | 2,416,668 | – | – | not allowed |
| Botswana | 2,351,627 | – | – | allowed |
| Gabon | 2,225,734 | – | – | allowed |
| Lesotho | 2,142,249 | – | – | allowed |
| North Macedonia | 2,083,374 | – | – | allowed |
| Slovenia | 2,078,938 | – | – | allowed |
| Latvia | 1,886,198 | – | – | allowed |
| Estonia | 1,326,535 | – | – | allowed |
| Cyprus | 1,207,359 | – | – | strictly regulated |
| Montenegro | 628,066 | – | – | allowed |
| Luxembourg | 625,978 | – | – | regulated |
| Malta | 441,543 | – | – | allowed |
| Liechtenstein | 38,128 | – | – | allowed |
Conclusion
Gambling is more than just a light-hearted recreational activity, as it generates billions in revenue for the global economy. Whilst some parts of the world have been reluctant to make online gambling legal, there has proven to be a massive appetite for it wherever it has gone.
Statistical trends appear to indicate that the future of the gambling industry will be online casino games. The COVID-19 pandemic has served to highlight the advantages of online gambling, accelerating the overall migration process from physical casinos to virtual casinos.
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