Gambling has been prevailing ever since the 11th century, and various forms of betting have emerged ever since. The progress of gambling in the 21st century has been at a staggeringly high rate. Currently, it has grown to be one of the biggest industries in the world, approximated to be worth around $500 million.
At the mention of gambling, Las Vegas is the city that comes to many people’s minds. America is, however, not the world’s biggest gambling country as many people perceive. Let us have a look at some of the top gambling nations in the world
Australia
Gambling in Australia is so prevalent to the extent that the Central Bank had to increase interest rates. Australia, as a nation has a robust habitual liking for gambling. The most popular type of gambling is poker, also known as ‘pokies.’ The country also allows online wagering on sports. New South Wales, a southeastern state, contributes approximately half of the country’s total poker machines.
Adult gamblers in Australia reached a loss of $1,128 per adult with 935 players having been banned from casinos from 2006 to 2010. These gamblers were however caught over 1,200 times for infringement of their ban.
Canada
Canada has laws in place to regulate gambling and also discourage awarding of lotteries to minors as gifts. The country has 50 casinos nationally. This has, however, not stopped the gambling industry from raking in millions in profits. The industry generates a staggering $13 billion annually for the economy. Every active gambler spends $570 each year.
Saskatchewan province has the highest number of gamblers in the country. Every person over the age of 18 in the region spends about $841 in gambling. The most popular types of gambling in Canada are lottery and scratch and win.
Singapore
Singapore has become a leading gambling nation even though the first casino opened doors in 1973. Majority of the people expressed fears when the casino was opened, with many worrying about addictions and losses. The government has discouraged gambling by charging an entry fee of $81 to the locals who desire to enter a casino. There is also a law called the “Family Exclusion Orders” where families are allowed to ban their members from gambling.
These measures have, however done little to discourage gambling as each adult lost an average of $1,174 in 2010. The country is also a tourist hotspot in the region and data released by the Singapore Tourist Board in 2018 has shown that tourists spent an estimated $1.5 billion on gambling annually.
France
As one of the enormous countries in Europe, France is known for its spread of casinos in popular cities such as Paris and Cannes. The wealthy country has over 300 casinos, and various people from different walks of life engage in considerable levels of casino gambling. Apart from casinos, sports gambling is also a significant form of gambling, especially during mega sporting events like The Tour De France, The French Open, and the Rugby Six Nations tournament. There are also high profile horse races like Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Chantily. Poker also has prominence in the nation as some of the best poker players in the world come from France. Data shows that there are more than 170 poker tables spread out in France with some having extremely high stakes for the most top rollers.
The annual gambling loss per every adult in France is $350.
Italy
This nation has a vibrant history in gambling as some of the inventors and innovators of some casino games came from Italy. The game of Baccarat, for example, is an Italian creation that was played at the first ever state authorized casino in Venice, during the 17th century. Fibonacci, a famous roulette system, was also invented by an Italian gambler.
Reports estimate that 800,000 Italians have a gambling addiction. The country’s economy raked in an estimated $112.54 billion in 2017 via gambling. More than half of this amount is credited to slot machines. Venice and Milan are the primary gambling cities in the country and have between them 15 elegant casinos.
Italians also have a passion for sports, especially football. The Rome Masters tennis tournament also woos high profile gamblers, as well as some elegant horse races.
Ireland
This country located in Europe is also very passionate about gambling, and its citizens are known to be very vocal about sports. The most popular games in the country are football, rugby, and horseracing. The ‘lad’ culture in Ireland involves young Irish men consuming large amounts of alcohol then wagering vast sums of money on sports. This has led to the emergence of Paddy Power which is one of the world’s biggest online betting firms, that accepts wagers on almost everything you can think of. Also, the emergence of Conor McGregor, a global superstar, has changed the face of Irish sports betting culture.
The country has not regulated its casino industry as they still use an on old gambling law from 1956. The average gambling loss per person in Ireland is at $538 per year.
Finland
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland acknowledges that over 41% of the adult population gambles weekly. As a means of discouraging children from gambling, the minimum legal age was raised from 15 to 18 in 2011. The national lottery company in Finland belongs to the government, under the Ministry of Education, whose proceed go to education, culture, and arts.
The country also offers free counseling to adults who spend more than $132.40 per year on gambling as this is regarded as a severe addiction to gambling. Finnish gamblers make losses of an estimated $553 per adult.
USA
The USA is one of the largest and most powerful countries in the globe. The country’s overall development is higher than in most other nations. This nation is also a hub for sports and several American sports dominating global sports in terms of popularity and money. During sports events such as the NFL Superbowl, NBA finals and the Major League Baseball Finals, billions of dollars are wagered, which is much more than any other country.
An estimated $117 billion was lost to gambling in 2016. The per-person gambling loss, however, is not as high as certain countries.
Other than sports betting, a few of the world’s most extravagant and largest casinos are in the USA, especially in Las Vegas.
