Throughout the years, the online gambling industry has seen massive strides. It has become a major moneymaking powerhouse, predicted to reach almost 93 billion US dollars globally by 2023, and has continually embraced significant innovations since its once-humble beginnings. That’s not looking to stop anytime soon.
While the technology behind online casinos has changed, the specific games everyone has actually been playing have also seen dramatic shifts in recent memory. Want to learn more about this? Read on to discover the state of gambling in 2020 and what people have been playing around the world.
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United States
The US has naturally found itself at the center of the online gambling explosion – especially with COVID-19 now keeping everyone firmly indoors. As in-person events have started posing increasing risks and smartphone usage becomes ever more prevalent, virtual casinos and betting games, the United States’ market share has risen to upwards of $300 million. In other words, a pretty respectable chunk of the overall market. One can also partly attribute this to the 2018 legalization of sports betting, which led to an entirely new sector of this niche.
It’s now perhaps one of – if not the biggest – online gambling choices to date. Just two years after the Supreme Court decision, 18 states now have regulated markets and 12 have full-scale online betting, supporting the growth of popular companies like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Not a fan of sports? Well, that’s not the only gambling being done in the States. All the old standbys have gotten a virtual face-lift and are super common game choices. Online casino games like slots, blackjack, poker, and bingo are all accounted for still.
England
While the United States tends to get all the attention, England shouldn’t be skimmed over when it comes to gambling. In fact, it regularly outpaces not just the States, but also several other countries around the globe, and by considerable amounts. Their overall market share is intensely impressive, generating over £5.3 billion just in 2018 and with UK players making up about 15% of all gambling revenue.
The games that generate all of this? Online slots actually make up the biggest portion of this, with over £2 billion wagered through these games every year – a number expected to continue rising despite England’s stricter regulations nowadays. Meanwhile, online poker is a close second, similar to the US.
That’s pretty much where the similarities end, however. Beyond these typical go-to’s, England’s betting game tastes are more in line with Baccarat and Roulette due to higher payouts, flexible betting options, and more extensive history behind them.
Nigeria
Out of the entire global market, countries within Africa have the smallest online gambling share. Only 1% of all revenue lies there, although that share seems to be rising as attitudes become slightly laxer, and no laws are sought to address the topic. There are a wide variety of sites and games becoming available to the people there.
Some of the best betting sites in Nigeria revolve around remote casino games. Betway, 888 Casino, bCasino, and 22Bet are particular fan favorites, slots, roulette, blackjack, and other similar games. However, out of everything offered, sports betting also takes on a special importance here.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, approximately 60 million Nigerians between 18 and 40 engage in this type of gambling, which has increasingly been conducted through the web. Cricket, football, rugby, basketball, and more are all some of the ones most highly represented, although Nigerian sites offer betting for just about anything under the sun.
Germany
Online gambling games have been a staple for many in a range of locations, but Germany has largely been left out of the conversation. For much of its history, this form of betting has been outlawed, and site hosting has been kept illegal. However, things have been a little different lately. As of July 1st of this year, Germany officially legalized online casinos and poker on the state level, thus opening up space for a new local industry.
By this next year, it will go into effect, although with some expected restrictions and regulations. This doesn’t mean that players haven’t found different avenues for betting prior to this decision. Sports betting, online casino games, etc. have all been widely available in the international market, hundreds of which accepting euros. SlotsUp has been one of the most popular sites among them, gathering some of the best international casinos and games supporting the German language and currency.
Canada
Online gambling has quite a reputation in Europe, making up over 54% of the overall market. North America doesn’t quite make as impressive a show, but Canada makes a special effort to make up for this. The country is actually a serious leader in the industry.
Around 20 million Canadians actively gamble and have routinely raised the country up to number 8 in remote gambling games. What games have won their hearts? As to be expected, sports betting comes in at number one, but online slots are also well-beloved with players.
Out of all internet casino visitors, over 70% of them enjoy playing slots, likely due to their ease, accessibility, and low cost. Mega Moolah draws a particularly large crowd, although Thunderstruck II, League of Fortunes, and more regularly top the boards as well.
Other common games don’t have quite as much draw for the Canadian public, but other gambling still provides a draw. Table games and poker are still frequently played, and several online casinos are visited every day. Considering there are over 2000 registered sites, there are quite a few options to go through.
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