Global Internet gambling growth rate slows

According to the latest Global Gambling Report published by GBGC, Internet gambling revenues to continued to grow last year, but at a slower rate than expected.

Global gambling revenues passed the US$ 450 billion mark for the first time, spurred on by growth in Asian casino markets (despite Macau’s slowdown).

Reasons given for the slower than expected growth in net gambling included:

• Increased regulation of EU markets
  Europe is still the major online market and as more countries move towards local licensing regimes, operators have been required to set up multiple onshore locations presences and pay additional taxes, leaving less money for marketing.
•  Slow take up in regulated US markets
  New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware all had their first full years of licensed intrastate online gambling, but didn’t exactly set the world on fire with numbers. The report also suggests US lotteries haven’t embraced the online sales channel as much as they should have.
• Net poker’s continued decline
  Had to happen eventually. The phenomenal growth in popularity of online poke has well and truly lost steam.

Interactive gambling revenues for 2014 were estimated to be US$ 41 billion.