Which countries gamble the most?

The former Portuguese colony of Macau, or Macao, is the only part of the People’s Republic of China in which casino gambling is legal. Nevertheless, while gross gambling revenues in Macau fell 5%, year-on-year, in January, 2019 to $3.1 billion, according to government figures, the fall was the first for two-and-a-half years. Known as the ‘Vegas of the East’, Macau is the most densely populated region in the world and its burgeoning gambling economy is a shining example of what can happen when a huge, increasingly wealthy population is exposed to legalised gambling.

Even in countries not always associated with being gambling such as New Zealand spent the equivalent of $648 each on gambling in 2018. $895m in total was spent on pokies (slots). Growth in online betting contributes heavily with the likes of newzealandcasinos.io drawing in those interested in winning big.

The United States is, of course, home to the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, which is billed as the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’ and attracted over 42 million visitors. In the U.S. as a whole, gambling revenues are invariably in excess of $150 billion, with pari-mutuel, legal bookmaking and lottery revenues the major contributors. Several gambling and sports betting regulations have been relaxed and sports betting is legal and making a comeback, so gambling revenues are only likely to increase in years to come. This is nicely complemented with with the best us sports betting sites, where people can ‘chance their arm’ in the comfort of their own home. Gambling on MMA, Boxing, soccer and the like is all the rage!

The United Kingdom has a fraction of the population of China or the United States and British casinos – of which there are apparently 152, according to the latest figures from the Gambling Commission – are ‘small beer’ compared with those in, say, Las Vegas or Macau. Nevertheless, the minimum legal to gamble in Britain is 18, as opposed to 21 for Macau residents and residents and foreigners in many U.S. states and Britons invest heavily on lotteries, sports betting, poker and other gambling activities. According to the Gambling Commission, the total gross gambling yield for the industry as a whole, in the year ending September, 2018, was a respectable £14.5 billion.