Countries that gamble the most list from RevenueLab

The gambling industry attracts more players every year. But some countries have a bigger gambling culture, legal gambling business and have a greater number of potential players than the others. In this overview, we talk about the countries where gambling is the most popular.

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Australia

Australia is the biggest gambling country in the world. Approximately 80% of the population participate in gambling in some form or other. The average salary in Australia in 2022 is 3700 USD per month. Citizens spend on average 1000 USD a year on gambling. In fact, gambling in Australia is considered a national problem. 20% of the world’s slot machines are located on this island, and many people are in debt. The government has not restricted gambling, but the country’s central bank has raised taxes on casino betting.

Germany

The average salary in Germany is 2,400 euros per month. Gambling is second, right behind adult entertainment, in what Germans spend their disposable income on. Sport is very popular in Germany, which is also why sports betting is a big market in this country.The German authorities have banned online casinos, but this ban only applies to German sites. Every year, casinos in Germany provide 640m euros in taxes to the government budget. Therefore, this GEO is still very successful for the gambling industry.

Ireland

Ireland ranks eighth in the world in terms of average monthly salaries — the average salary in Ireland is 3,000 euros per month. The Irish spend on average about 560 euros on gambling every month. The gambling industry is practically not regulated in any way.

Every year, the gambling entertainment sector in Ireland brings in $ 3 billion of revenue.

Canada

The average salary in Canada is 44,000 USD per year. Gambling is considered by the government as a form of entertainment, so there are no strict laws prohibiting gambling. Therefore, gambling is considered a social norm, with gaming finding a wide audience in the country.

USA

Gambling laws in the US are regulated at two levels, federal and regional. Currently, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, West Virginia and some other states allow casinos and bookmakers to operate online. New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania have even legalized online poker. The gambling industry in America is regulated by licenses, so you will need a license to be able to operate legally.The gambling market in the USA has huge potential – it is estimated at more than $50 billion. The average monthly salary in the USA is 4700 USD.

Macau

Macau’s success continues to be based on its ability to attract locals and players from all over the world who are looking for a fun vacation activity or who want to participate in the biggest games. This is the only area of China where gambling is legalized. Sports betting is the primary focus here. China takes up 35% of the entire gambling market. Gambling addiction in this country is a serious problem.

India

According to last year's Forbes, India took third place in the amount spent on gambling. They reached 140 billion dollars. People with good incomes in India generally speak English, which makes advertising in English more efficient than in Hindi.

India is one of the fastest growing GEOs for online gambling. Online casino activity is not regulated in any way and there are no prohibitions on advertising. In addition, the Supreme Court of India in 2016 made a proposal to legalize sports betting in the country.

Finland

Finland is a very unusual GEO. A survey conducted by the Finnish polling specialist Bilendi showed that more than 30% of residents welcome the legalization of online casinos. The industry leader is Veikkaus Ltd, which is owned by the state. But residents prefer to play on foreign sites using a VPN. The average salary in Finland is 3800 USD per month. On average, Finns spend 550 dollars on gambling a month. 

United Kingdom

Online gambling in this GEO is completely legal. The UK is an excellent standard for a safe gaming environment, with UKGC strictly controlling the industry.

Some statistics from Statista:

  • Proportion of people who gamble weekly in Great Britain – 26.9%
  • Total gross gambling yield in Great Britain – 5.89bn GBR

Japan

Betting on racing sports, pachinko (slots) and lotteries are very common in this country. On 27 July 2018, the Japanese government passed the Act for Development of Specified Complex Tourist Facilities Areas (the Act), which legalizes gambling for licensed private entities in certain designated locations within Japan. This law sets certain conditions for gambling. For example, Japanese residents have to pay an entry fee of 6,000 yen in order to be able to bet, half of which will be paid to the national government, and the other half  to the local government. Nevertheless, there are no restrictions for non-residents of Japan and the Japanese themselves remain a huge gambling nation.


In our review, we have given exactly those GEOs which have a good environment for gambling businesses. The level of income and legislation strongly affect the number of potential players. We hope this information comes in useful for you. Stay tuned to our blog and we wish you good luck in your business ventures!

2022-06-24

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