Gambling is one of the most widespread hobbies around the world. Residents of some areas of Earth cannot imagine their lives without poker, or online poker, slots, sports betting, and other entertainment activities. But where do the most devoted gambling fans live? Special surveys and interviews help to determine this. Based on them, we have compiled the top 10 countries most interested in gambling.
World’s Most Gambling Nations
Let us have a look at where on Earth the most gambling-loving people live!
10. Spain
Spain is in last place in our rating. Locals love betting on sports more than anything else. More than 65% of Spaniards bet on the outcome of football matches every weekend. In addition, residents of the country are fond of playing slots, roulette and poker. As surveys claim, Spaniards spend 200-450 euros a year on gambling activities.
9. Greece
Because of its proximity to one of Europe’s most important gambling centers – Cyprus – Greece is undoubtedly affected by the love for gambling; otherwise, it would not have made it to our list. Greeks, on the other hand, take gaming to a somewhat different level. Poker and online casinos still have their roles in the life of Greece residents, but many prefer to participate in national lotteries, where they may win millions of dollars if luck is on their side. Greeks spend an average of 420 dollars each year on gambling individually, which includes the purchase of lottery tickets as well.
8. Norway
Residents of Norway also do not mind spending time playing at online casinos. Gambling residents spend from 200 to 440 euros per year. Most of all, they like “one-armed bandits,” slots, lotteries, and roulette. The authorities are trying to slow down the growing popularity of gambling among the population, but their efforts haven’t been successful as yet.
7. Hong Kong
Hong Kong residents spend $500-600 in pursuit of fortune. The conditions for this are simply wonderful: there are land-based and online casinos, clubs, slot machines, and bookmakers available in a great variety.
6. Italy
The favorite entertainment of Italians in the field of gambling is the rotation of the reel of slot machines. The second place here is given to poker. The Italian national poker team wins international tournaments quite regularly. Italy is challenging France for the right to be considered the birthplace of baccarat, an ancient card game that used to be a game of aristocrats, but is now available to everyone, including in casinos, when you need to play against an institution. Italians are proud that the first European casino was opened in Venice in 1638.
5. Macau
The only part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China where casino gambling is allowed is the Macau Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR). This small piece of land (a peninsula and an island near Hong Kong) is by far one of the largest gaming centers in the world.
Thanks to the rapid development of the gambling business, the total turnover of gambling establishments in the district exceeded the income of the Las Vegas Strip, reaching a maximum in 2014 ($ 45 billion).
4. The USA
Gambling is legal in the USA, but with a huge number of all sorts of “buts” and restrictions. Each state has the right to adopt its own laws on gambling zones and the types of gambling allowed in them. Gambling includes everything that has anything to do with the possibility of winning: from playing bingo for money, lotteries, and poker tournaments to roulette and sports betting. The most serious restrictions are imposed on commercial casinos.
There are about 450 commercial casinos in the USA.
Today the largest gaming centers (with commercial casinos) in the US:
Las Vegas, Nevada
- Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Casinos on the water (not on land: on boats, pontoons) are legalized in Louisiana and Illinois.
The iGaming sector in the United States is presently estimated at $261 billion. There are presently 1.8 million individuals employed in the gaming industry. Since 2010, the gaming industry’s revenues have been gradually expanding. Las Vegas and Atlantic City are the two most important gaming destinations. Because of the advancement in computer and information technology, online casinos are becoming increasingly popular.
3. The UK
Sports betting and online casino games have long piqued the interest of British residents. Aside from the high percentage of punters in the population, the quality of licensed and legal online betting sites in the UK is easily verifiable, thanks to the aforementioned UK Gambling Commission, which does an excellent job of establishing and enforcing strict rules governing this recreational activity.
Statistically, in the past three months, 46 percent of the population gambled. The market is regarded as the most powerful in terms of value and investment. This is also good for the economy because all casinos must pay taxes and get a UKGC license.
2. Canada
Gambling is not entirely controlled in Canada. The majority of the casinos, if not all of them, are located in British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, and Ontario. The country earns $13 billion each year from these locations.
There are no restrictions on Canadians visiting and playing at any online casino using real money. However, in order to provide games to players, a casino must acquire a license.
- Almost 80% of Canadians participate in gambling.
- The typical player is between the ages of 30 and 36.
- 76 percent of participants consider gambling to be harmless fun.
- Only 3.2 percent of those polled are hooked to gambling.
- Men account for 82.4 percent of online participants, while women account for 17.6 percent.
1. Australia
Australia is the most playing country in the whole world. Every year, Australians spend $25 billion dollars in casinos. If we consider the costs per inhabitant of the country, it is about $ 1,500. The propensity for such a hobby does not depend on the social status and type of activity. Australians prefer classic slot machines in the genre of “one-armed bandit”.
Such a high percentage is not surprising in the era of online casinos when you can play for a relatively small amount of money right from home.
- Citizens have an average monthly salary of 4000-5000 AUD.
- Surprisingly, the most popular games are not slots, but rather a variety of card games.
- The government is waging a vigorous campaign against unlawful internet casinos. The ACMA promptly shuts down the majority of unlawful internet casinos.
- Around 80% of all traffic in Australia is mobile. Social media platforms are the most popular sources.
- At the moment, the Australian market is valued at more than $150 billion.
