Numbers are a constant presence in the world of gambling for calculating odds, selecting and placing bets and whatnot. But here we’ll show a different take on numbers in gambling, i.e., we;ll discuss the global statistics of the industry. Follow this text and you’ll see some impressive stats and facts on gambling industry revenue and other interesting data. Maybe some of this will inspire or help you with making decisions if you decide to enjoy this type of entertainment.
📈 Gambling Statistics for 2024 – Quick Overview
- Asia is the leading region in terms of revenue in gambling (31.3%).
- Australia has the highest rate of gambling adults, where 73% of adults have gambled at least once in the past 12 months.
- The global casino gambling revenue in 2024 is estimated to reach $7.5 billion.
- In percentage terms, Africa had the greatest growth in the past years.
- Sports betting represents the largest online gambling sector.
- The five top gambling markets by losses per adult are Australia, Singapore, Ireland, Canada, and Finland.
- The top five gambling markets per total gambling gross are the UK, Italy, Japan, China, and the USA.
- Male gamblers are more inclined towards sports betting and table and live casino games.
- Female gamblers are more inclined towards bingo and slots games.
📊 General Gambling Stats & Facts
We created visual presentations of the development of the entire gambling industry so we can better convey the numbers to you. Read on to see important gambling metrics:
🌎 Gambling Around the World
It is clear that the number of gamblers globally surpasses the 4.2 billion mark (people that have gambled at least once in their lives). This number includes both land-based and online gambling markets, and below we’ll expand on this with regard to revenue.
By some estimates, the global online market is expected to reach $153 billion by 2029, with a growth rate of up to 10%. The staggering growth rate is most likely driven by the tech advancements, the changes in regulations, more aggressive marketing strategies, more diverse game selection, and the shift of the global economic trends. The global online gambling market size reached $63.5 billion in 2022 and rose to $93.6 billion in 2023.. In other words, it seems that online gambling has the capacity to surpass estimates.
Source: Gambling Commission
🤵 How Many People Are Gambling?
The staggering amount of money comes from gamblers all around the world, from every country that allows online gambling or land-based casinos and lotteries.
We try to convey reliable, truthful information for you. Thus, we use studies and reports to bring you the following facts related to the biggest gambling markets:
- 80% of the global population gambled at some point in their lives if we count bingo and lottery.
- Around 46% of UK residents (16+ years old) gambled in the past four weeks, according to the Gambling Commission’s study on gambling behavior.
- Except for lotteries, the majority of gamblers in the UK are within the 25-34 age group.
- Around 1.6 billion people gamble throughout the year.
- 4.2 billion of the entire world population gambled at some point in their lives.
Source: Mordor Intelligence
This information is relevant for estimating the number of people with gambling addictions, and for recognizing people’s online gambling behavior.
🃏 What Are People Gambling on the Most?
A lot of the global population have gambled at some point in their lives and this number seems to be increasing – especially thanks to online gambling. But what are they gambling on the most?
Sports betting has been the main choice of gamblers, with casino games taking the second place.
Both sports betting and casino games have grown from 2007 to 2017, while skill games and poker betting have lost their favoritism. Lottery games are growing in popularity, albeit at a lower rate. Please note that the data above represents the total amount spent on these activities, and not the total number of players.
In terms of casinos, slots are the most famous casino game in the USA, UK, and Australia. The most recent estimate is that slot games are the preference of 53% of all social casino players. However, that is an aggregate comparative that does not survive an individual check:
- In the UK, bingo is still the preferred choice when it comes to casinos.
- Poker is much more popular in Australia when compared to the UK and the USA.
- Blackjack comes right after slots and poker for U.S. casino players.
💵 How Much Are People Spending on Gambling?
So now we know where people are spending their money, but not how much. Below we explain some country-specific data related to how much people spend on gambling:
- Irish gamblers spend about $713 on gambling each year.
- US gamblers spend about $261 on betting and gambling a year.
- UK gamblers spend about $179 a year on gambling and betting.
💵 Gambling Losses
Gambling can be great fun, as long as it is done responsibly. Checking the total gambling losses not only per region but also per adult is a great indicator of responsibility. Lack of control or simply a dedication to a source of entertainment are divided by a fine line, which is why we have gambling commissions and regulators all over the world.
- Australian punters lose about $1,200 per person per year.
- Singapore has the second highest rate of gambling losses, with about $725 per person per year.
- Finnish gamblers lose on average $515 per person per year.
💵 Why do Australian adults spend far more on gambling?
It may not be 100% accurate, saying that gambling is part of Australian culture, but it is definitely embraced by most Aussies. Brands and casinos advertise everywhere, so it is quite impossible to isolate yourself from gambling. In statistical terms, most Australians love the famous pokies, or slot machines. In fact, 20% of all registered slot machines are found in Australia.
Sports betting is also increasing there, but it is definitely the huge availability and the high additivity of pokies that explain an average loss of over $1,200 per Australian adult gambler.
💵 Gambling losses per country
The countries that lead the loss per adult statistics are not necessarily those with the highest gambling losses. After all, there might be more people who gambe less, but still sum up to higher losses. That is what our next chart will reveal:
Therefore, even though the USA is not one of the countries with the biggest losses per adult, it has the second position when we consider the entire country.
🏬 Top Gambling Centers
We selected four top gambling centers – or centres, depending on your choice – and their most relevant stats. Get to know the following countries and their respective information on gamblers, licensed operators, and revenue through the most recent data:
1️⃣ United Kingdom
National lotteries, casino slots, and football and horse racing bets
9,745 (-9.6%) – Betfred almost doubled its numbers over the past 10 years
The majority of its online gamblers are 35-44 years old
3,641 (2019)
£14.3 billion (-0.5%)
Online casinos
Gambling in the UK is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, responsible for such activity since 2005. The whole industry moved £14.3 billion in a year (Oct 2018 to Sep 2019), which is not much different from the previous period. It is divided in the following manner:
£5.5 billion (online sports betting: £2.1 billion, mostly football and horse racing; online casino betting: £3.2 billion, mostly slots)
£2.8 billion
£3.18 billion, destining £96 million to good causes
£572 million
£2.8 billion (52.1% machines)
£668 million / £198 million for online bingos
It is also noteworthy that licensed activities decreased to 3,641, a minor setback of 0.4%, given to 2,652 operators (-1.3%). The number of licenses decreased mostly because of the increase in online betting and casino offers.
Also, since April 2019, the maximum stake for B2 machines was severely reduced (£100 to £2), which should explain some of the negative impacts.
Demographically, the online gamblers of the UK are divided per the following:
2️⃣ Australia
Pokies (slots), lotteries, sports betting (namely horse and greyhound racing)
AUD$24.88 billion (2017-2018, +5.0%)
Varies per state
Electronic gaming (AUD$12.5 billion)
Australia is probably the country within this whole article where the entire territory accepts gambling. Statistically speaking, around 80% of the Aussies enjoy gambling now and then, resulting in around 10% of the state’s revenues. They are divided the following way:
AUD$12.52 billion (+3.2%)
AUD$5.10 billion (+6.5%)
AUD$3.54 (+7.1%)
AUD$1.23 billion (+16.3%!)
The latest demographic information on Aussie gamblers and players gives us a great picture of what that public looks like:
The stats confirm that the majority of Australian gamblers are 30-49 years old and that there is little difference when it comes to gender. However, while the distribution in terms of age did not seem to change much over the years, that cannot be said regarding gender.
Back in 2011, women represented only 7.2% of all gamblers. Now, they correspond to an incredible 45.8%, getting closer to their proportion to men in terms of population (51% and 49%, respectively).
3️⃣ Canada
Lottery, slots, sports betting, online casinos
US$ 13.5 billion (2017)
Varies per province
Casinos ( US$5.85 billion)
Canada’s provinces have separate legislation and regulation on land-based casinos, while online gambling is more accessible to Canadians. The most successful gambling activity in some provinces, however, is definitely the lottery:
Together with the lotteries, we collected some data related to the percentage of casino visitors who are fond of slot machines. According to over 1,000 respondents in the year of 2015, their preference for slots was:
If we compare those results from 2015 to the Ipsos Reid Lottery & Gaming study (2013), there is a considerable difference. Back then and according to their respondents, 49% would always play slot machines.
Finally, the best way to identify how Canadians gamble is to create a scenario considering both age distribution and their preferable gambling choice. Keep in mind that, although lotteries are extremely popular, it is within casinos that most revenue is found since 2017:
4️⃣ United States
Lotteries, casinos, and card rooms
US$240 billion (US$43.61 billion from casinos, $119 billion from online gambling)
465 casinos – allowed in 23 states
43 online casinos - allowed in 6 states
Lottery (US$80 billion)
There is no living soul that can think of a casino and not relate it to Las Vegas. Just as it happens in other countries, its states are free to legislate and regulate most of what is linked to gambling. That results in different scenarios within the same country.
Sports betting is a favorite activity for Americans, which has provided momentum to betting companies to achieve growing revenues every year. The US Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 50 states, and we soon saw an increase in the gross revenue from sports betting.
Even so, the lotteries are responsible for the majority of the revenue connected to gambling in the U.S. It represents almost the double collected by casinos as of the date. We created a graph comparing both the most profitable gambling options in the US:
While Nevada’s huge contribution to the casino revenue comes from Las Vegas, some states do not contribute at all. Perhaps, if every single state in the United States allowed casinos, that difference between lotteries and casinos would change.
The latest data on the age group of casino visitors in the US is a bit old (2010). Still we can use it to see the the age distribution of US gamblers::
🎰 Most Popular Online Gambling Games
Either in real casinos or online social gambling, slots are the most popular choice among players in many countries worldwide. In fact, it represents most of the revenue in New Zealand, in the UK, and especially in Australia (usually called pokies). Canadians are also known to play slots when visiting a casino, and Finnish players are particularly fond of this casino game.
The biggest representative sector in online gambling is sports betting. Together with the casino games, it is one of the favorites when we take total expenditure into consideration. Even with that participation, it continues to grow at incredible rates of about 7% every year. Recently, many US states allowed sports betting, which has already been reflected in gambling behavior there.
Together with blackjack, poker is one of the most famous card games around the world. It counts with special legislation in some countries and there are several worldwide tournaments. There are even websites specialized in promoting poker rooms with real gambling. The United States and the UK are the top gambling countries with the highest participation of poker among its favorite options.
One of the most remarkable notions provided by this article is the importance of lotteries – especially where gambling is not legal in every manner. The easy accessibility and affordable cost made the lotteries represent the highest revenue in the United States when it comes to gambling: US$80 billion. In the online gambling world, lottery agents are offering access to lotteries worldwide.
One of the most versatile gambling options is bingo. It has its electronic versions played online and in land-based casinos, called video bingos, on top of live rooms with players from all around the world.
🎰 Interesting Facts about Gambling
was invented in 1891, but it was similar to what we know today as video poker. The classic 3-reel slot was invented a little bit later, in 1895.
in history (US$39,713,982.25) for slot machines was paid back in 2003. It occurred in the Excalibur Hotel-Casino, Las Vegas.
bought in 1992 virtually all possible combinations in a Virginia lottery. Their $5 million investment resulted in winning $27 million.
became addicted to gambling and lost his allowance and tuition money playing card games, which is why he never finished college.
since 1949, but it is legal in the autonomous region of Macau
gamble throughout the year.
4.2 billion people have tried gambling at least once in their lives.
✍️ Summary
- Online gambling is expanding, with mobile gambling becoming the norm and VR technologies entering the gambling market.
- The entire gambling industry was severely affected by the health crisis, but it recovered, and now online gambling is on a stellar rise.
- Mobile gambling represents a considerable portion of all bets, with close to 49%.
- The European market has the highest contribution when it comes to online gambling (57%).
- In terms of growth, the US and Asia-Pacific regions see impressive growth in online gambling.
- Australian players pay the highest gambling losses in the world at over $1,200 per person per year.
- Australian women participate almost equally in the gambling market as Australian men.
FAQs
This depends on the country: gamblers in some countries like Australia and New Zealand prefer slot games. Gamblers from India and the USA prefer lotteries, as these are the most cost-effective and most accessible games.
Online casinos and sports betting platforms usually don’t count taxes and don’t charge fees for winnings. However, the casino/sportsbook has a built-in profit from every wager. It is known as the casino edge in casino games and odds for sports betting.
Social games are often a source of entertainment and fun rather than a profitable distraction. Even so, many online casinos frequently provide social gambling tournaments with prizes for their members to entice them to join the platform and move on to other casino games.
The countries where people gamble the most are Australia, Singapore, Ireland, Canada, Finland, Italy, Hong Kong, Norway, Greece, and Spain.
The global gambling market reached over $400 billion, with the online gambling market reaching over $63.5 billion in 2022. The 2024 estimates are about $93 billion, and the 2029 prediction is that the online gambling market size will reach over $153 billion.
Resources
- https://www.imarcgroup.com/online-gambling-market
- GBGC’s Global Gambling Report 2019
- GBGC’s Global Gambling Report 2018
- Top 10 Countries/Markets by Game Revenues
- Online Gambling Market Size, Share Industry Report, 2020-2027
- Gambling Market Global Opportunities And Strategies To 2022
- Global Gambling Market to Reach $565 Billion by 2022
- The Global Online Gambling Market is expected to grow from USD 53,686.56 Million
- Online Gaming Sector
- Gambling participation in 2018: behaviour, awareness and attitudes
- Washington University researchers assessing rates and risks of gambling
- How many people gamble?
- GBGC Interactive Gambling Report 2019
- Fresh Insights on Social Casino Gamers: Slots are Most Popular and Convert Best
- The Money Question: How Much People Spend on Gambling?
- How much do Australians lose on gambling?
- Countries That Gamble The Most
- Which Countries Gamble The Most?
- The Growing Gambling Industry: Forecasts, Technologies, and Trends
- COVID-19: regional gambling losses
- Asia demonstrates virus impact
- Gambling Industry Statistics
- Participation in online gambling in the United Kingdom 2016-2020, by age group
- Latest edition of the Australian Gambling Statistics
- Gambling activity in Australia
- Gambling revenue in Canada by gaming segment
- Frequency visitors at casinos play slot machines in Canada
- Age distribution of Canadians who have participated in gambling activities in the last year as of June 2016, by type
- Share of respondents who participate in sports gambling in the United States as of February 2020
- Gross gaming revenue of casinos in the United States in 2019, by state (in million U.S. dollars)
- Sales of lotteries in the U.S. 2019, by state
- Fresh Insights on Social Casino Gamers: Slots are Most Popular and Convert Best
- Leading mobile app categories in the United States 2019, by reach
- Mobile Gambling Trends & Statistics
- Mobile Gambling Market Size, Share, Industry Demand, Global Analysis, 2025
️