3 Online Gambling Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind

Posted by Harry Kane on Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Make no mistake; the online gambling and casino market represents one of the world’s true growth industries. It is also one of the most changeable too, and one that is constantly evolving on the back of technological advancement and shifting consumer behaviours.

As you would expect, this market is home to a number of quite fascinating statistics, from those that relate to its size to others which hint at the future direction that it may take.

So, here are three mind-blowing, online gaming statistics and their potential impact on the marketplace:

1. 29% of the Gambling Market Is Now Remote

Over the last decade, we have seen the sustained regulation of online gambling and virtual casino outlets, which has created an increasingly lucrative and viable market in the process.

As a result of this, remote gambling now accounts for the staggering 33% of the UK market as a whole, which in turns translates into a total share of £4.5 billion. This is a trend that is reflected across the globe too, while the figure includes everything from online betting and bingo sites to the leading players in the virtual casino sector.

While the size of the virtual market has grown at a slightly slower rate during the last 18 months or so, it will continue to increase incrementally over the course of the next decade. We could even see the global, online gambling industry become dominant by the year 2030, particularly if more U.S. states fulfil their promise of legalising the practice during 2017.

2. Tablet Gaming Will Grow at a Faster Rate Than Smartphones

While it is widely accepted that mobile gaming is now increasingly dominant, the dynamics of this platform are continuing to change rapidly.

Even though smartphones drive the vast majority of mobile gaming experiences, for example, we are now seeing tablet usage grow at an exponential rate (and one that is disproportionate to handsets). Incredibly, it is estimated that the revenue generated worldwide from tablet gaming will increase from $3.6 billion to $13.3 billion between 2014 and 2019, meaning the market will nearly quadruple in size in the space of just five years.

Much of this has to do with the emergence of dedicated gaming tablets, of course, while these devices also offer natural advantages in terms of screen size and immersive gameplay.

3. Casinos Dominate, But Slots Are on the Rise

As we have already touched upon, the online gambling sector achieved total revenues of £4.5 billion in 2016. While you may not be surprised to note that online casinos dominated the virtual market to the tune of £2.8 billion, however, sports betting was beaten into third place by an increasingly lucrative alternative.

That’s right; online slots accounted for £1.8 billion in revenue last year, superseding the £1.6 billion accrued through virtual betting.

This highlights the rising popularity of online slot games, which are now part of an increasingly diverse and often themed library. They are also relatively easy to play and offer gamers numerous chances to win, while the exceptional graphics and audio quality continue to appeal to new or novice players.