Online Gaming Across the World
Posted by Harry Kane on Friday, May 5, 2017
Historically, sports betting has dominated the online gambling sector across the globe. This is largely due to regulatory issues and the sustained oppression of other gambling activities, which has continued in various regions throughout the world.
This landscape is gradually changing, however, with the legalisation of virtual casinos continuing at pace and casino gameplay accounting for 24% of the online gambling industry at the end of 2015.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at online gambling across the globe and understand which regions are experiencing the most growth:
1. Spain Enjoyed Record Growth in 2016
Let’s start with Spain, for example, which enjoyed stellar growth throughout 2016 and managed to soar to record highs.
In specific terms, Spain recorded gross gambling revenues of 32.6% during 2016, with the amount wagered online increasing by 19.9% to 2.9 billion Euros during the same period. Online casinos dominated this growth, achieving a total market share of 28.6% and a cumulative value of 36 million Euros.
Much more than this, Spain has also saw a dramatic increase in the number of first-team customers registering with online casinos, amounting to 598,000 in total. Active players also increased their frequency of gameplay by 17.3%, as online casinos continued to invest heavily in effective promotions and refine their outreach efforts.
2. The U.S. Continues to Fight an Uphill Battle in the Quest to Legalise Online Gambling
The quest to legalise and monetise online gambling in the U.S. has continued at pace for more than a decade now, as a select few lawmakers across multiple states strive to fight against stubborn resistance.
This year brought new hope that the market would finally flourish in the States, with up to nine state legislatures considering various online gaming bills. As we start the second financial quarter, however, we have seen this sense of optimism begin to dwindle, with states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and California already facing an uphill battle that is increasingly unlikely to be won.
On a national level, the U.S. Attorney General has also raised concerns by pledging to overturn the 2011 Department of Justice decision relating to the Wire Act. When considered together, these factors have combined to scupper plans for the legalisation of online gambling in the U.S., at least in the short-term.
3. Italy’s Market Has Become the Second Largest in Europe
While Spain’s online gambling market enjoyed a seminal 2016, it still has some way to go to match the performance of Italy. This nation is now home to the second largest online casino market in the whole of Europe, thanks largely to an incredible 25% rise in operator revenue last year.
Overall, Italy’s regulated online gambling sector was valued at 1.026 billion Euros at the end of 2016, which was a full one-quarter higher than 2015’s total. This places Italy just behind the UK in terms of market size, with France third and Spain trailing in fourth.
Once again, the casino vertical dominated this growth, generating the vast majority of online revenue with a total of 439 million Euros. This growth is set to continue in the near-term too, as Europe continues to benefit from increased regulations and soaring demand.