Gambling Statistics Around the world
Gambling has always been popular across the globe, and more recently online casinos have boomed in popularity, driven by changing player habits, updates to legislation and developments in technology. 2016 figures show the overall gambling industry worth just shy of US$400 billion worldwide, with online gambling accounting for roughly US$50 billion.
Research shows that around 26% of the world’s population gamble; meaning about 1.6 billion people gamble, and even more gamble once a year. In the UK, around 17% of the population gambles, generating revenue in excess of £5.3 billion for the online market alone. People who play casinos in India are rising every year too. In the US, however, things are quite different.
US Legislation
Changes in legislation in the US overturning PASPA saw sports betting revenue between 2017 and 2018 increase from US$203 billion to US$332 million, an increase of 63%. Changes to online gambling legislation in the US also led to an increase in revenue for land-based casinos; including all commercial and Native American Casinos, bingo machines and state lotteries, land-based casino revenue for 2018 was almost US$110 billion.
Online gambling uptake has been substantially lower, with only 3% regularly gambling online, though this is increasing, and there are signs in several US states that online gambling is going to become increasingly accessible.
Drivers of Online Gambling
The online gambling market is going from strength to strength. Worth around US$66.7 billion worldwide in 2020, it is estimated that it will be worth in excess of US$92.9 billion by 2023. This growth has been driven by three key factors:
- Technological developments
As technology has developed, connectivity has increased and become more accessible across the globe. The advent of the smart phone has meant that increasing numbers of individuals are able to access online casinos from anywhere, not tied to a physical location or limited by internet accessibility.
- Changing player habits
Driven by technological advancements, the rise of the causal gamer has helped attract a new demographic to online casinos and has led to increased numbers.
- Evolving legislation
Legislation across the globe is constantly adapting to take into consideration the developments in society and societal norms and requirements, and is slowly catching up to the needs of online gambling, to ensure accessibility but also protection to operators and players. Recent changes in the US have increased adoption of online casinos.
Online Offerings
With the growth in online gambling like with website utländskacasino.biz, and the low barriers to entry, the market globally is becoming rather saturated, and operators are having to do ever more to attract and keep players. There are many ways that operators have chosen to do this:
- Interactive and live games
The next layer is to have a combination of live casino games alongside the automated games. Live dealer games help up the ante when it comes to an immersive experience. From the comfort of their own home, players can access the true feel of a live casino game; there is no perception of bias as players can see the cards being drawn, and it feels more engaging and real. Players are also able to speak to fellow players through the chat function, making it feel like they are in a real casino.
One of the main games that can be played in this set up is blackjack, and blackjack in Canada is hugely popular. Playing a live version is more exciting for the players, as they can see the reactions from the dealer and other players, and there is more interaction and an additional social element to the game.
Many operators also offer other live dealer games, such as various permutations of poker and even roulette. For anyone wanting to play blackjack, there is a handy guide for beginners and experiences players alike.
- Leveraging technology
Operators are using the available technology, and even investing in newer tech to help improve their offering the players to ensure an experience that is as good as, if not better than, the real thing.
On a basic level, most operators use high quality graphics and sounds the mimic the feel of a real casino. They also have themed games with slightly different offerings to help draw in players. The combinations of lights, music and graphics all add up to create an immersive experience.
A number of online casinos are using Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality to further increase an immersive experience for players. This enables players to feel like they are really there, though as the technology is new there is limited uptake and requires additional hardware to be used.
- Introductory bonuses and offers
Most online operators offer a welcome bonus to attract new players, often linked to their initial spend. Many also offer some form of rewards programme, with rewards for daily play, or a VIP space for players who spend over a certain amount.
Online casinos certainly seem to be the future of gambling. Land based casinos attract a small (though hard-core) demographic and there will always be a place for them in the market, but the developments in technology mean that gambling operators can move online and attract a whole new demographic. The rise of the casual gamer is driving this growth across the industry, but operators are also using all tools available to them to replicate the feel of a real casino to beat the competition in a saturated market.
