Global Gambling Industry Statistics by Silentbet

It is now 2024, and the global gambling scene is growing exponentially. The market’s revenue is ~$107.30bn. We, at Silentbet, have prepared an overview of the iGaming markets share around the world with real stats and trends.

How did we do it? We analyzed the current industry data and numbers; we conducted more than 35 polls among our readers; we compared 500+ casinos we work with via our very own database.

In this article, we share all our findings showing emerging trends, player tendencies, and revealing numbers. Let’s begin!

The Gambling Industry WorldWide Right Now

The online gambling industry is currently worth more than $100 billion dollars (USD). The size of the revenue of sports betting and casino gaming is set to rise even more in the next several years. Some statisticians and mathematicians even predict the revenue will double in a decade’s time.

What does Silentbet think? It is very likely that the global iGaming market will continue to soar, but we also believe that with new cutting-edge technology, AI surges, and the Metaverse coming to life, we might as well see a swift shift for online casinos and their integration into another avatar-centered universe.

The line graph above clearly shows the upward curve in profits from the global gambling industry. The stats cover a period of 12 years, starting in 2017 and the projection way into 2028.

The chart indicates the increase in capital is exponentially growing with the years with no signs of a plato.

Online Gambling Statistics (Here Are Some Numbers)

The current global population in 2024 is 8.1 billion people. Out of them, 1.6 billion people define themselves as active players and 4.2 billion admit to gambling once in a while (maybe as low as just once a year).

Silentbet’s findings, stats and database show that an average of 150K players visit our site to look for a new casino to gamble on, with 1 million people actively on the lookout for new bonuses, betting products or casino sites. There are 3 million people worldwide who choose to play online. And there are 4,972 online casinos globally as per last count. This is a 3.8% increase in business over the last year and 6.3% increase in the last 5.

Overall there are 8,224 gambling companies in the world with the top 5 by market cap being Las Vegas Sands ($39.45bn), Flutter Entertainment ($36.83bn), Evolution Gaming ($28.03bn), DraftKings ($19.44bn) and Aristocrat ($18.57bn).

The revenue projections show that the iGaming market is growing at a CAGR of 10.91%. This trend is backed up by numerous researches online including Gitnux, Statista and the UK Gambling Commission.

Online Gambling vs. Land-Based Comparison

There is a rising tide of online casino businesses appearing all over the world. Even with stricter gambling laws in certain countries, the online gambling industry is thriving and is soon set to overlap with or even overshadow the traditional bick-and-mortar casino venues.

What makes online gambling such an appealing prospect for business? Silentbet’s take is that the niche allows for a greater span of products you can invest in, meaning more opportunities for quicker and easier growth.

Still, places like Macau and Las Vegas continue to attract players. People flocking there are responsible for $35.6 & $6.58 billion in revenue in 2020 in these locations, respectively.

Comparison By Country

Gambling on an international scale shows some uneven distribution of revenue from country to country. Why are there so large discrepancies in various regions around the world? This is mostly due to new and stricter gambling laws and regulations.

Canada, for instance, has regulations in some of its provinces like Ontario. In all other states, offshore casinos attract the majority of players (not surprising as most promise ~97% win rates returns). The same is partly true for the United States of America, where casinos licensed in Costa Rica are quite popular.

Most European countries have long been on the right track when it comes to gambling regulation. Online gaming has been legalized in Germany since 2021, with only around 12 operators having a valid license. UKGC is strict with its gambling laws safeguarding UK players. Italy, Finland, Sweden and more EU states have their own gambling commissions.

In Australia, online casinos are banned, which reduces offshore casino website traffic, with less than 10% of Australians using a VPN to access a forbidden casino in 2023.

Who’s Doing the Best?

Gross Gambling Revenue by Country

USA	$69.5B
UK	$18.6B
France	$14.90B
Australia	$10.9B
Germany	$10.3B
Macau	$10.3B

The table above shows the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of these countries in the period between 2019 and 2023. The obvious winners are the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada based on the given statistics. The numbers reflect revenue from online and in-land gambling. The stats are sourced by GamlingIndustryNews (find more in our references at the end of this article).

Who’s Doing the Worst?

The obvious answer is that the countries where online gambling and/or land-based casinos are banned are at the bottom. Examples include United Arab Emirates, Qatar, North Koera, Brunei, Lebanon. A few like China, Japan, and Singapore ban online gambling, but still, the number of players resorting to offshore casinos from this locations is on the rise.

As for the bar chart above, it details the countries with the biggest gaming losses per adult according to the most recent 2017 data. Australia is in the lead but after the new and more severe gambling laws there, the situation is bound to change soon. Following it are Hong Kong and Singapore with gaming losses of around 700 USD per adult per year.

Distribution by Age & Gender

According to various online sources, including the Gambling Commission, Statista & PlayToday, the ratio of men vs. women gambling is 2:1, with 64% of gamblers being men compared to 36% of them being women.

At the same time, the majority of people who gamble are aged 25-45. There is a slight increase in retired people who turn to gambling in their 60s and 70s, but this is mainly due to the population ageing faster rates in recent years.

There is also а worrying trend of more and more underaged (children aged 11-16) who spend their own money on gambling. In some countries such as Great Britain, for example, the stats portray a 12% increase for the last 5 years, meaning gambling is still accessible to a great degree by people under 18.

Gambling on Mobile – Recent Statistics

Some of you may use a PC when you want to access an online casino, but the most recent stats show that the majority of gamblers prefer using mobile devices. Most of you probably think of online casino applications, but if you check our recent stats, you will see that only a handful of operators have mobile apps for iOS (36.6%) and Android (43.77%). Others have mobile websites.

The rapid growth in the number of people who gamble on the go will change the industry as we know it. We are confident that all online casinos will start investing more in their apps and mobile sites. Some may even implement AI.

Our team of experts had the task of analyzing more than 377 online casinos and checking whether they have a mobile app or only a mobile site. We have been in the industry for many years and have noticed a significant change in the popularity of mobile gambling. By the looks of it, this is the future of iGaming.

Popularity of Casino Games

Games remain the go-to choice for players no matter if they play in a land venue or online. The numbers are stunning. A 2021 case study by Statista revealed that there are 767,000 slot machines in the USA alone. Not surprisingly, online casinos boast the highest number of slots in their gaming library. Brands with 5,000+ slot games are not uncommon.

The second most played games online are video poker and blackjack, which are almost at a tie.

Then come games like craps, baccarat, and betgames.

An emerging trend is the popularity of live casino show games based on popular TV shows or board games like Monopoly, Deal or No Deal, Megaball, Wheel of Fortune, etc.

Our in-house research and data show that slots, jackpots and live casino games are the most common types in most online iGaming lobbies. More details in the stats article linked below:

Which Software Studios Are Winning the Most?

As per the current Silentbet’s database, there are a total of 574 casino software providers around the world. The top 10 most common studios you will find powering the casino libraries online are:

1. Evolution Gaming
2. NetEnt
3. Play’n GO
4. Pragmatic Play
5. Microgaming
6. Betsoft
7. Quickspin
8. Big Time Gaming
9. Wazdan
10. Playson

You also need to be aware that the game providers’ shares are on the rise. We have researched the situation via this different perspective below.

The studios worth the most in 2024, according to official statistics, are Evolution Gaming (country: Sweden | earnings: $1.16bn | market cap: $27.89bn | revenue: $1.86bn | employees: 14,850), Playtech (country: Isle of Man | earnings: $0.10bn | market cap: $1.83bn | revenue: $1.71bn | employees: 7,300) and NeoGames (country: Israel | earnings: -$1.59bn | market cap: $0.97bn | revenue: $0.21bn | employees: 695).

The Rise of Social Casinos

The social casino current market size value, according to The Business Research Company, is $7.99bn right now, with predictions for a CAGR of 8.8% in the next ten years. The figures point to a possible $11.2bn revenue forecast for 2033. So, even with the decline in downloads of social casino apps between 2020 and 2021, this sector is quickly recovering.

Sports Betting vs Casino Betting

While both sportsbooks and online casinos are popular among players, Silentbet’s community gravitates towards casinos more. 80%+ of our readers are curious to know about casino-related topics, games, and mathematical systems they can use in their gameplay.

At the same time, sports remains a somewhat sought-after topic, especially concerning football odds and tips.

How Are Casinos Doing Responsible-Gaming-Wise?

We are happy to report that more than half the online casinos we analyzed have 4 or more responsible gambling tools to help their players stay in control. Rarely, do we come across a casino with no safe-guarding features in place whatsoever (only 1% of casinos we tested will offer responsible gambling support via email or live chat, but no other tools on their platform).

Here are some numbers based on Silentbet’s casino database:

• 100% of the online casinos we have reviewed offer players the option to delete their accounts.
• 85.63% of the online casinos compared offer self-exclusion for a day, a week, a month or more.
• 62.69% of the online casinos we looked at allow players to set deposit limits via their accounts.
• 60.24% of the online casinos in our database off a time-out, aka a cool-off period, as an option.
• 46.18% of the online casinos Silentbet has tested feature a self-assessment test on their sites.
• 35.78% of the online casinos have the wager-limit tool as part of their responsible gaming pack.
• 33.64% of the online casinos tested have a loss limit to safeguard players’ bank and winnings.
• 32.42% of the online casinos reviewed have the option to limit your session manually.
• 29.36% of the online casino Silenbtet has compared offer reality checks pop-ups.
• 0.92% of the online casinos in our database have the tool withdrawal lock.

*all data based on a comparison of 327 active casino sites in 2024

Want to read more details? Here is the whole responsible gaming research conducted by us:

Future iGaming Trends – What Silentbet Predicts Awaits Us

The iGaming scene is constantly changing. So here are some emerging trends that we are just beginning to see.

Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain & Dapp

You won’t believe the money being invested in Web3 gaming projects this year. For last year, 2023, the total investment was nearly $3bn. At the same time, the DappRadar reports on 1.1 million active DeFi users every day. These online casino gambling statistics come to back up the claim that blockchain technology and crypto will take over the iGaming scene soon.

Machine Learning & AI Incorporation

Casino brands will continue to incorporate Artificial Intelligence in their algorithm, software and service sectors. Why use AI? To monitor players’ behavior and couple the data with machine learning to come up with future trends and winning scenarios. It’s all about control of the game, and AI will give a further edge to the casino industry.

The Market Share Will Increase 10-Fold

Gambling is definitely on the rise in recent years. The advance of technology definitely plays a part in forming the big picture. Our predictions? The iGaming revenue worldwide will increase 10-fold in 10 years. In the long run, this business will change and adapt due to the new technological discoveries, but its market share will steadily increase despite the changes.

Female Gamblers on the Rise

More and more women turn to online gaming, including eSports, casino game and more. Nearly 23% of women are responsible for in-game purchases via sweepstakes and gambling apps. The trend is up from here. As per Silentbet’s database, nearly 50% of active online players are women and we predict the percentage to rise to 65% in the next few years.

The Gambling Problems Young Adults Will Face

According to the Responsible Gambling Orgranization, players between the ages of 18 and 24 are going to be at a higher risk of developing gambling-related problems. Here are some stats: 60% of Ontarians aged 18-24 gamble with 7% of them are reported to be showing the first signs of gambling addiction. The situation is bound to get worse if no measures are taken for prevention.

Europe & USA Will Be in the Lead

Some countries will be at the frontline of change when it comes to gambling online. We, at Silentbet, believe that Europ and the United States will lead the way. Gambling laws will adapt to the new iGaming reality and the new restrictions will be applied first in the established GEO markets around the world, namely the UK, the USA and the like. Canada and Australia will also probably serve as an example.

Africa Will Emerge as a Hidden Gem

The gambling outlook for South Africa and other African countries is brighter than ever. There has been an annual growth rate of 6.18% in recent years, so we are all rife with predictions of what these soaring numbers will lead to. The global gambling stats will for sure be influenced by the iGaming scene in Africa in the next decade.

The Top 3 Gambling Destinations Will Surprise You

The evolving landscape of online gambling around the world is not the only thing set to change. We predict some shifts when it comes to the best gambling destinations in the world. While Las Vegas (100+ casinos), we are sure, we’ll continue to be in the top 3, sites like Reno, Atlantic City and Monte Carlo might have to step back so they could leave enough room for the emerging winners in Macau, China (50+ casinos) and Singapore (3 casinos).

FAQs

Our Methodology – How We Collected These Gambling Statistics

Silentbet always strives to deliver up-to-date and verifiable information. Here is how we collected the data and stats shown above:

Silentbet’s Database: Compiled Since 2014

Since starting in the iGaming business, we have reviewed more than 500 online casinos in a decade. All info and statistics we collected in our very own database. It allows us to see trends and draw conclusions about the ever-changing global gambling scene.

Here are some more in-house statistical researches:

Polls, Surveys & Feedback from Our Readers

Silentbet’s community is at the heart of this gambling statistics and trends article. We conducted 35+ polls, surveys and feedback quizzes among our members to show you the stats based on our readership made up of real players.

Sources & References

We used various reputable and authoritative websites to quote their data and research along with our findings. Here is a list: