In the past decade, the online gambling industry has boomed. Between 2019 and 2020, its value increased from $58.9 billion to $66.7 billion – a figure that’s expected to grow again by 2023, to an incredible $92.9 billion.
Most of the growth within the industry pertains to the online sector, and it’s not difficult to understand why. Offering economy, accessibility, and flexibility, internet gaming brings the fun of the casino to an individual’s front door. But which games, in particular, are people playing? Recently released figures provide us with an answer.
Casino games (32.4 percent)
Following not far behind sports betting are casino games, such as slots and online scratchcards at Betfair and other similar sites. These enable players to enjoy the games and entertainment they might find in a Las Vegas gambling den but without the need to leave their homes.
Designed to be immersive, engaging, and realistic, these games are able to transport players, conjuring all the excitement of their brick-and-mortar counterparts. However, they have a few added upsides, including improved accessibility and flexibility. With an average return to player ratio of 90 percent plus, they offer the chance to win real prizes through your computer or phone screen.
As these numbers indicate, there are now an awful lot of people gambling online. According to statistics published on Gambling.net, roughly 26 percent of the world’s population gambles at least once per year, with the figure closer to 64 percent for America specifically.
Sports betting (42.5 percent)
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The numbers tell us that the most popular form of online gambling is sports betting, with this accounting for 42.5 percent of all online activity. If you’re not quite sure what it entails, sports betting is where an individual tries to predict the outcome of a sporting event and places money on this occurring.
PledgeSports.org reveals that the most popular sports to bet on are football, horse racing, tennis, and golf. Billions of dollars per year are gambled on the former alone, with an especially high volume of bets placed in the UK.
Lotteries (12.6 percent)
Source: Pixabay
Though we often forget to think of them as gambling, lotteries are another popular form of online play. They account for roughly 12.6 percent of all internet gambling activity, with lots of us purchasing the occasional ticket.
With they might be a virtual incarnation of an old classic, the jackpots on offer are very real, and most mega draws are available to people across the globe. This means, for example, that the biggest European lotteries, such as El Gordo, are also open to US nationals.
Bingo (4.3 percent)
In fourth place (and the final option to be featured on this list) is bingo. Once enjoyed primarily by an older audience, bingo has undergone something of a renaissance since it made the leap to online play. Now enjoyed by people from a vast range of demographics, it has never been more popular.
However, bingo hasn’t lost its core appeal, which lies in its unpredictability. A game of pure chance, its outcome is impossible to call, which is half of the fun for players. A social game even online, thanks to the chat features developed by many virtual casinos, it offers a fun way to spend a couple of hours on an evening.
Tell us, if you were going to try your hand at online gambling, which of these games would most appeal to you?
