When we talk about the gaming industry, we often boast with huge numbers, ones that depict annual revenues that will make businesses in other fields salivate. And, with good reason, the sums are astronomical, and with more and more places making land-based and online casinos legal, they’ll sky-rocket.
However, not all things are on an upwards trajectory. Interactive poker has remained flat with a slight drop off from recent years, while the true winner is still mobile gaming, in large part due to the rise of the online casino sphere, which offers a vast selection of games, with benefits such as skill-based bonus rounds, free spins, progressive jackpots, and loyalty programs. All players have to do in order to gain access to every game and every online casino bonus is to register. Registration is fast and simple and it is followed by a verification of your identity.
Online casinos have steadily been taking bites of the industry since the mid-90s. Their annual revenues stand at $60 billion, and with customers craving ease of use and big wins, they won’t stop there.
While the big earners are always flaunted, it would be interesting, rather than looking at numbers that signify money, to see numbers that show which are the most casino-heavy countries.
USA
No surprise here, with a total of 1956 casinos across the land, the US is number one. With a population of 330 million, it's got a big customer base that can play virtually anywhere, as almost every state offers casino gaming. If one doesn’t, you can look for a Native American reservation, and find an establishment there. Vegas alone is the home of over 360 casinos.
Canada
USA's neighbour to the north loves casinos just as much. The number of casinos is a big drop off as it’s almost ten times less with 216, but it’s enough to be second on our list. Most of these establishments are regulated and owned by lottery corporations, many are joint ventures with entities such as Gateway or Great Canadian. Canada too has casinos operated by First Nation people.
France
France is an interesting spot because the country has a long history with this pastime and its casinos aren’t just flashy and fancy, they’re draped in historical importance. Monaco, anyone? They also contributed to the innovation and development of some of the most popular casino games. In 1988 slot machines were again made legal and the industry continued to boom. France’s number of casinos stands at 181.
United Kingdom
The British love to play casino games. If every place that is thought of as a casino facility could have been counted, they would have overtaken the US by a landslide. They not only love their sports betting shops, but they fancy some online casino gaming as well, and more than half the population plays the lottery. As far as casinos go, they have 158 of them. One thing that is worth a mention in the UK is that online casinos are extremely well regulated.
Not only that, but the UKGC, which is the regulatory body, is one of the most reputable authorities globally. Recently, in an attempt to regulate online casinos in a better manner, it has ruled credit cards as an ineligible payment method at these sites. That means that when UK players register at online casinos, they won’t be able to deposit or withdraw money with this method. However, they have a lot of other methods at their disposal.
