Technology is providing more people with continuous access to everything, and online betting and gambling sites are no exception. Bringing the online gambling world to our fingertips, our tablets, smartphones and computers have made online lotteries, virtual slots, casino games, virtual racing, online bingo and so much more all instantly accessible to millions of players.
Online Gambling in Europe
Europe is the largest online gambling market, with an estimated 22% market share of an industry worth around $60 billion. In 2020, gambling in Europe is predicted to be worth almost €25 billion, an impressive growth of 20% compared to just three years ago.
Somewhat surprisingly, the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta has one of the highest levels of legal online casino games. One of the first counties to be able to successfully regulate gambling, it’s in contrast to Germany where citizens can only place bets online, on a restricted selection of sports.
In the UK, online gambling was legalized in 2005, with many providers running commercials advertising their products and services on primetime television. Encouraged by a number of popular football leagues, betting and gambling in sport are actively encouraged, especially in Europe. Sports betting accounts for almost half of all betting activities online, followed by casino games and lotteries in second and third places respectively. Games such as bingo and poker account for around 5% of activity.
Online Bingo
Although market share might be small, online bingo is becoming increasingly popular in many countries. One of the more social games when it comes to online gambling, it was long considered an old ladies game in the UK, but the online revolution has introduced bingo to the younger generations through like this one.
In Italy, their version of online bingo dates back to 1530 whilst in Germany it has been played since the late 1800s. In Japan, most of the bingo that is played in the country is online, boasting the most online bingo players in the world.
Online Gambling in Asia
Perhaps most surprisingly, Asia and the Pacific regions account for the second-largest market share in the industry after Europe, with profits expected to increase over 7% in 2020 according to some studies.
In Australia, government-approved games are considered legal, whilst in Thailand, citizens are not allowed to withdraw or deposit money on or from online gambling websites, even though betting itself is legal. To get around this, Thai people have to visit a physical casino to withdraw their winnings or deposit further funds.
Online Gambling in North America
Over in the United States, things get a little more confusing. Whilst online gambling itself is legal in the country on a whole, the rules can vary from state to state. For example, the state of New Jersey is the largest market by a considerable margin for online gambling in the US, offering online casinos, online poker games and online sports betting.
On the other hand, states such as Nevada permit online poker and sports but not online casinos, and states such as West Virginia only permit online sports betting. One of the most prominent restrictions in North America is that many banks actually block gambling transactions, which obviously put limitations on access for many citizens.
