Top gambling countries comparison for the USA, Canada, Germany and the UK
Casino.org has commissioned global market research firm SIS international to produce a report looking into the state of onling gambling in 2020 across the key markets of the USA, Canada, Germany and the UK. The report sheds light on the most popular formats of gambling by country; how much people tend to bet in each country; the key factors bettors take into account when choosing a gambling operator, and much more. You can find some of the key findings from the report here, or download the full report for more in-depth coverage. See the full report here
The state of the market
How does the market size compare between the four countries?
The online gambling market size in these four top gambling countries is huge, and set to grow further in the years ahead. Here are some stand-out figures from the report, including the revenue of the biggest casino in the world.
Market size in the US
$137.5 billion
The gambling industry generates a total contribution of US$137.5 billion to the USA economy each year
$12.88 billion
Las Vegas Sands is the largest casino company in the world, with revenues of US$12.88 billion
Market size in Canada
19.3 million
Canadians that are actively gambling
CA$21 billion
Spent annually by Canadians on gambling
Market size in the UK
20.7 million
Weekly gamblers in the UK in 2020
£1.5 billion
Spent on online slot machines in 2020 by UK gamblers
Market size in Germany
€13.9 billion
of Germany’s yearly revenue came from gambling activities in 2020
€21.6 billion
of Germany’s yearly revenue is expected to come from gambling activities by 2025
What was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The year 2020 will forever be remembered for the COVID-19 global pandemic and the huge ramifications it had on everybody's lifestyle worldwide. The gambling industry was affected too and in all four countries survey respondents revealed they had gambled more since 'lockdown' restrictions began in their various nations - although significant numbers of respondents also said they had gambled less. The difference was most pronounced in the USA, with 55% of respondents gambling more and only 25% gambling less. In Canada the difference was much more minimal, with 31% gambling more but 29% gambling less. The difference in lockdown restrictions in each country during 2020 should be taken into account when considering these results.
| Country | Have gambled more | Have gambled less |
|---|---|---|
USA | 41% | 23% |
Canada | 35% | 27% |
UK | 55% | 25% |
Germany | 31% | 26% |
How players choose their games
Where did gamblers see the adverts that led them to their current betting platforms?
Advertising is important for gambling operators, and it is interesting to see the difference between the four countries when it comes to where gamblers discovered their current betting platforms. In the UK, TV advertisements were the most influential, whereas in the other three nations it was social media. Other than the UK, Germany was the only nation to have TV adverts ahead of adverts on non-social media websites.
| Country | Social Media | Other websites | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
USA | 44% | 16% | 16% |
Canada | 43% | 18% | 17% |
UK | 26% | 11% | 39% |
Germany | 37% | 12% | 18% |
What are the most important aspects of gambling for gamblers?
Asked about the most important aspects of gambling, all four countries were in unison on not just the top factor, but the top three. Winning money is the most important thing, followed by having fun and excitement. UK gamblers value winning money the most though, with 54% of respondents citing it as a reason to gamble. Canadians, meanwhile, are the most likely to bet to have fun, with a third of respondents saying this is the most important aspect for them.
| Country | To win money | To have fun | For excitement |
|---|---|---|---|
USA | 50% | 25% | 18% |
Canada | 40% | 33% | 16% |
UK | 54% | 25% | 13% |
Germany | 39% | 30% | 16% |
