Gambling industry
Gambling is one of a few industries that showed no major declines despite the recent global crisis of COVID-19. More particularly, the global gambling market reached US$711 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach up to US$912 billion by 2027.
The US market
is valued at $267.5 billion in 2022.
Asia-pacific
is estimated at $19.5 billion in 2022.
Canada
gambling industry market size reached US$12.5 billion in 2022.
Several factors contribute to the growth of the industry. More particularly, the changing gambling habits of consumers, the increased popularity of online gambling apps, and social gambling will push the market’s growth forward.
Online gambling
Data shows that the global market for online gambling worth US$60.4 billion in 2020 is expected to reach US$123.6 billion by 2027.
Data from around the world support the predicted growth of the industry. For example, the online gambling market will reach 41% of Europe's total gambling revenue by 2026, a 15% increase since 2019.
Regarding different types of online gambling, mobile betting, the preferred online gambling form of Europeans, is one of the leading factors for the market's growth. The share of bets from mobile devices holds 50.5% of online bets and is anticipated to reach 61.5% of all online bets by 2026.
Projected online gambling market growth
Gambling by age in the US and Canada
The legal gambling age varies by country and state, with the minimum age usually being 18 or 21. In addition, it can vary based on the gaming nature and the casino type. Check to see whether your state has a legal gambling age:
A breakdown of the legal gambling age in Canada can be found below:
Gambling and gender
Gender participation in gambling in Canada
Among gamblers of both genders, the most popular gambling activities in Canadian casinos are slots, with a participation rate of 76%. This is followed by the lottery (62%) while betting follows with a 30% participation rate. Below you can find the participation of Canadians in gambling activities by casino games:
Similarly to Canada, data shows that UK women now account for 42% of all gambling activity in the UK. However, only 24% of female gamblers participated in online gambling activities during September 2022.
Gambling participation over the years
However, only 24% of female gamblers participated in online gambling activities during September 2022, compared to 29% of the opposite gender.
Online gambling participation over the years
Customer view on gambling
Customer behaviours and viewpoints are of utmost importance in gambling since they are the one factor that pushes the whole industry forward. The amount and frequency of participation in gambling activities vary across countries for many reasons, such as legalization and individuals’ willingness to partake in such activities.
A recent report shows that most people accept the idea that in-person and online betting should be allowed.
Statistics from the US show that 46% of people support betting on sports, while only 28% do not like the idea. Pleasingly for the Canadian gambling industry, 48% agree that betting should be allowed, and just a few are against it.
On the other hand, Germany is the least on the list, with only 27% agreeing to support sports betting.
I support the idea that people, where I live, should be
allowed to bet on sports online and in person
Europe
North America
Asia
Most people gamble because they are excited about the possibility of winning money. When asked whether people feel excited about getting a life-changing prize, this is how respondents from each country answered:
It is exciting to know that when playing the lottery,
I have a chance to win a life-changing prize
Europe
North America
Asia
US gambling statistics
The gambling sector in America is a significant employer and community builder, generating millions of job opportunities, a diverse tax base, and a wide range of entertainment options. There are 44 states with a total of 981 casinos that contribute to growth and innovations for their communities.
-
(217)nevada -
(138)oklahoma -
(82)california -
(40)minnesota -
(35)washington
The economic impact of gambling
What should gambling organizations focus on?
Gamblers love to gamble but are they offered the best conditions to partake in such activities? According to data, the public is not satisfied with the state of the gambling sector. Gamblers from different countries think that online gambling companies are not doing the best job for their well-being. The list below shows whether gamblers around the world agree that companies in their countries are doing a good job of supporting their needs.
Most online gambling companies care about the wellbeing of their customers
Europe
North America
Asia
Going back to the question of what areas gambling businesses should focus on to have better performance, the emphasis should be on three main areas:
-
Data usage
-
New products
-
Responsible gambling
According to an online gambling report, gambling organizations stated that improved data use impacted their overall business performance by 53%. New product launches contributed 57%, and responsible gambling 14%. As a result, 74% of gambling businesses will focus on improving their data usage to perform better.
Participation in Canada
Data shows that 30% of Canadian adults are registered on at least one website for online betting. The Atlantic Canada region takes up the first place with 41% registered individuals. Above the national percentage of those registered in online betting forms are also Ontario and British Columbia, each reporting 33%.
Other parts have recorded lower participation, such as:
26%
Quebec
24%
Alberta
22%
Manitoba/Saskatchewan
The latest report from iGaming Ontario has finally offered insight into participation so far, indicating that, as of June 30, there were 18 live gaming operators in the province, with more expected on the way. The second quarter, however, recorded 24 operators with 42 gaming websites.
Comparison between the US and Canada
Gambling vs. social media
Despite its popularity, gambling is not one of the topics to be discussed among players, or even non-players, on social media. Data from 15 countries show a low rate of gambling inclusion in media, except for India (27%) and Mexico (23%).
I talk about gambling on social media
Europe
North America
Asia
COVID-19 impact on gambling
COVID-19, its progression, and its aftermath still affect players' choice to visit casinos. The fact that some have been reluctant to visit in-person casinos and continue to feel the same impacts the overall market size. As a result, European data shows that the gambling market revenue has significantly declined by 13% compared to 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
When asked whether they would be happy and willing to visit a casino, Danes, Canadians, and French are more likely to do so. Other countries rank as follows:
Thinking about COVID-19, I would now be quite happy to visit a casino in my country
Europe
North America
Asia
Although some people might not feel safe enough to go to casinos, or some might not be supportive of online gambling, according to the market size we’re looking at, gambling seems to be going strong. The gambling sector in Canada, particularly, “is growing at a quicker rate than that of Europe’s regulated markets,” according to Vladimir Malakchi, Evoplay’s CCO. As a result of this year’s regulations, the Ontario imaging market has seen significant engagement with 24 operators available across 42 gaming websites and revenue of $267M in Q2.
Since companies are working toward improving their services, we can conclude that gambling will continue. In addition, the increasing adoption of mobile devices and internet usage will further push the demand for online gambling and market growth.
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