Worldwide Casino Statistics

In recent years, the casino industry has kept expanding and evolving, due in no small part to the internet and new gaming technology. But how much of that growth is fueled by casino companies pursuing higher standards? What are the predictions for the future of casinos? Who has the most room for improvement? We will answer these and many more questions with the latest worldwide casino statistics. Let’s see how the casino industry is doing and where it’s going.

Casino and Gambling Statistics Highlights: Editor’s Choice

• According to gaming statistics, the global gambling market was worth $465.8 billion in 2020, and it’s expected to grow to $516 billion in 2021.
• The online gambling and betting market value reached $66.7 billion in 2020, and it’s expected to more than double by 2028.
• US casinos experienced a 31% revenue loss due to the pandemic.
• Approximately 26% of the global population gambles online.
• The Asia Pacific region is at the forefront in gambling revenue per region with 38% of the market, according to casino statistics for 2020.
• Europe was leading the online gambling industry in 2019 with $22 billion in revenue.
• The total gross gambling yield in Great Britain in 2019-2020 was $14.2 billion.

The Success and Turmoil of Land-based Casinos

The pandemic caused many problems for land-based casino businesses, but specific regions continue to experience steady growth nonetheless. These companies employ more than one million people and continue to be a source of fun for almost one-third of the global populace. As part of casino industry facts, we’ll also go through the rundown of casino and table games and their effect on the overall earnings.

1. The worldwide gambling market will expand from $465.76 billion to $516.03 billion in 2021.
(Research and Markets)

Research shows that the annual growth rate of the gambling market cap is expected to be 10.8%. Companies are changing the structure of their operations and still recovering from global lockdowns, work from home policies, reduced or closed commercial enterprises, and social distancing. Nonetheless, despite the current problems land-based casinos are going through, casino stats show that the gambling market will grow to $674.7 billion by 2025, due to the online gambling boom.

2. Asia Pacific held 38% of the global gambling market in 2020.
(Research and Market, Statista)

While the pandemic created a specific set of challenges for every industry, some places were more affected than others. For example, the Asia Pacific region managed to hold onto 38% of global gambling revenue. Macau alone had $7.63 billion of gross revenue from gambling and gaming, despite experiencing a massive drop in visitors – for example, in 2019, the gambling island raked in more than $36 million. According to casino revenue statistics for 2020, North America was the second-largest earner, with a 29% market share. On the other hand, the Middle East had the smallest contribution to the worldwide gambling market.

3. US casino revenue dropped 31% due to the pandemic in 2020.
(Forbes)

The pandemic and lockdowns brought gambling revenue on a federal level down by almost a third. The various states weren’t equally impacted; although most states lost around 27% of their regularly scheduled workdays, this hiatus cost states like New Mexico up to 79% of their earnings. Others, like New Jersey, made the wise transition to online gambling and actually increased their revenue year-over-year. Casino industry statistics suggest that the planned legalization of gambling, particularly in its online form, across the US, is bound to help the recovery of the gaming industry as a whole.

4. The global casino and online gambling market employs over one million people.
(Statista)

Despite current problems the gambling industry is struggling with, there were 1,122,574 people employed in it across 4,801 companies worldwide. To accommodate those coming there to gamble, these establishments also have lodgings, dining, and beverage options, thus creating jobs for plenty more people than just those working in casinos.

5. Native American casinos increase adult employment near reservations by 26%.
(NBER)

In general, Native American casinos have a beneficial effect on the population close to the reservations, Native American casino statistics show. As a result of casino development in tribe-controlled areas, 11,5% of young adults have returned to settlements close to Native American casinos; adults living in the area are 26% more likely to find employment here. The number of working low-income families has also been reduced by 14%. It’s worth mentioning that most of the people who work in these casinos are not Native Americans. On the flip side, a 10% increase in car theft, serious criminal offences, and larceny, plus a jump in bankruptcy in a 50-mile radius, can also be attributed to a casino opening.

6. The total gross gambling yield in Great Britain from April 2019 to March 2020 was $14.2 billion.
(US Gambling Commission)

The total GGY includes lottery revenue. Without it, the 2020 gambling metrics from the US Gambling Commission show a yield of $10.2 billion for the gambling industry in the same period. While these figures may seem great, they actually represent a 0.6% to 4.5% reduction compared to the same period in 2018 and early 2019. US statistics also show that gaming machines grossed a total of $2.1 billion; this decrease is much more significant and represents a 25.6% YoY loss. On the other hand, US casino sites increased their profit in the same period.

7. Approximately 26% of the global population gambles online.
(Casino.org, Derace Whitepaper)

Over a quarter of all the people on Earth gambles online at least at some point. In practice, that means around 1.6 billion people gamble regularly, while 4.2 billion gambles at least once annually. Casino facts and statistics about US casino demographics show that 17% of the British population gambles via online casinos and betting sites. They bring in $5.3 billion in revenue to the online gambling market. In the US, a mere 3% of the population gambled online in 2016. This number has already increased significantly and is expected to grow even further as more US states are updating their online gambling policies.

8. Interactive games in land-based casinos brought in $13.45 billion in revenue in 2018.
(World Casino Directory)

Research from 2019 shows that, since 2003, interactive games have helped with the stable development of the land-based casino market. According to worldwide casino statistics, interactive poker is the most popular option, followed by table games, and then gaming machines. The United States, China (Macau included), and Japan collected 56.8% of all land-based casino revenue for that year.

The Rise of Online Casinos

Online casinos didn’t suffer because of the pandemic – on the contrary; all internet gambling business statistics show a boost in their growth for 2020.

9. The online gambling and betting market value reached $66.7 billion in 2020, and it’s expected to more than double by 2028.
(Fortune Business Insights)

Predictions suggest that the internet gambling and betting market will be worth nearly $160 billion by 2028. Gambling industry statistics show that one reason for this popularity is increased access to the internet, which rose above 46% in 2019. The other driving forces behind the fast-expanding online gambling market are game availability and online casino bonuses and promotions.

10. Europe was leading the online gambling industry in 2019, with a $22 billion market cap.
(Grand View Research)

The regulation of gambling legalization in France, Germany, Spain, Malta, and Italy largely contributed to Europe dominating the online gambling market in 2019. The rising popularity of online casino betting, fast internet connections, and smartphone users with casino apps also immensely helped Europe’s development.

Online casino statistics also reveal that the relaxation of pandemic-related measures and cryptocurrency adoption in the Asia Pacific region are revivifying its section of the market.

11. iGaming and sports betting made up nearly 15% of the US commercial gaming revenue in Q1 2021.
(American Gaming Association)

Internet betting revenue amounted to $1.24 billion in the first quarter of 2021, which is more than 3.5 times what it was in 2020. US citizens bet $1.24 billion with legal sportsbooks in the first three months of 2021. Thanks to that, global gaming statistics for 2021 show that iGaming and sports betting together contributed 14.9% of the total gaming industry revenue in the first quarter of 2021.

FAQ

How many people gamble around the world?

Around 1.6 billion people gamble regularly, while 4.2 billion gambles once per year.

Is the casino industry growing?

According to the Research and Markets study, the casino industry was worth $465.76 billion in 2020 and will be worth $516.03 billion in 2021. That’s a 10.8% growth rate.

How much money is spent on gambling each year in the world?

According to worldwide casino statistics, the global gambling market was worth $227 billion in 2020.

How many casinos are in the world?

There were over 4,800 casinos in the world in 2019.

Sources:

American Gaming Association
Casino.org
Derace Whitepaper
Forbes
Fortune Business Insights
Grand View Research
NBER
Research and Markets
Statista
US Gambling Commission
World Casino Directory