The Countries with the Biggest Online Gambling Markets

by Brian Wallace Affiliate Marketing

Gambling, in one form or another, has been around for thousands of years. However, now, with the rise of online gambling, it has become one of the most popular sources of entertainment worldwide. There are so many options available and not all are legitimate - so people head over to comparison sites such as GoodLuckMate.com to find the best and safest online casino experience.

Here, we will look at the countries with the biggest online casino and gambling markets in the world.

1: The USA

Although this is a constantly changing market, this is still the world’s biggest market thanks to the open casino sector of Nevada. It is one that is growing all the time as more states start to legalise the industry.

Casinos are allowed in a growing number of states, either privately managed or on tribal reservations. In addition, state lotteries are also permitted in most US states.

It was back in 2013 that states started to legalise and regulate online gambling - in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. Both New Jersey and Delaware have also legalised online casinos and poker as well. Sports betting online is also becoming more widely available.

This is one of the most exciting markets because the potential keeps on growing!

2: Macau

This is a country which is mainly focused on sports betting and is known for being China’s only legal gaming jurisdiction.

Because it is so popular with tourists, it has become one of the biggest and best online gambling markets worldwide. Throughout all other parts of China, all forms of betting and gambling have been prohibited.

Casinos in Macau bring in around $21 billion - with the VIP players bringing in two-thirds of that sum.

3: France:

Back in 2019, the gross gambling income of France amounted to 12.2 billion euros - and the number is growing. Around 17.4 million French citizens enjoyed online gambling activities during that same year. In comparison to many other countries in Europe, France is regarded as being one of the most gambling-friendly with all forms of gambling allowed and controlled in all regions.

As such, anyone based in France can enjoy live casinos, sports betting, card games and horse racing in any brick-and-mortar gambling establishment. In addition, apart from selected casino games, all types of gambling are also legal online as well.

4: Italy

Back in 2019, the gross gaming revenue in Italy amounted to $18.1 billion and it keeps on growing. Italy has had a long history with gambling, going back to Roman times - and this has been in their blood ever since.

Along with France, Italy is also another European country with pretty lenient rules on online gambling. You can access online casinos, online sports betting, poker and more.

5: Spain

We drop a little here when looking at Spain’s gambling spending, which totalled $8.9 billion in 2019. However, this is still a huge worldwide market. Codere casinos earn around 1.9 billion euros every year from gamblers in Spain - which works out to be around 480 euros per person.

Because it is so popular, the Spanish Gambling Act was designed to supervise Spanish gambling sites and ensure that Spanish players can enjoy online gambling safely as it continues to grow.

6: Canada

Gambling is incredibly popular in Canada - and around 75% of the legal population partake in online betting regularly, spending about C$750 on this pastime every year. There are numerous online casinos, mainly licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.

7: Germany

Another of the biggest European gambling nations is Germany, with as much as 14.3 billion euros spent on gaming back in 2019. It is predicted that German gambling revenues may reach 3.3 billion by the end of 2024 according to current industry projections.

Online casino players in Germany can now access a variety of games such as slots, poker and sports betting.

8: The United Kingdom

Although the UK has some of the strictest and toughest gambling laws in the world, the United Kingdom is famous for having one of the most financially stable and robust online gambling industries in the world.

In order to operate within the UK, an online gambling company will need to be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and needs to work alongside Responsible Gaming companies such as GamStop.

According to the UKGC, the country’s gambling revenues in 2019 totalled $19.2 billion - making it one of the most profitable in the world.

Conclusion: The Biggest Online Gambling Markets

No matter where we look - all around the world gambling and online gambling keeps getting stronger and the markets continue to grow.

The fact that legislation has become more gambling friendly combined with the improvements in technology means that online gambling has become even more accessible to players from all different regions. However, having said that, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific are still the top areas for gambling income. There will certainly be new names added to the list as legalisation grows and we look forward to seeing who will join the top spenders in the next few years!