Editorial

Monday, 17 August 2009 06:23

Different governments in countries around the world may have contrasting views on the many forms of gambling and what is or is not good for their citizens, but one thing is for sure is that most people in general like to gamble in varying degrees. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, gambling is available in one form or another but the question as to its legality or profitability for the country concerned is a whole different ball game. So let's take a look at how gambling is enjoyed or otherwise around the world today.

You only have to listen to the news or read the press to know that different forms of gambling in many different countries are hitting the headlines for one reason or another. While most westernised nations enjoy the freedom of being able to visit land based casinos, bookmakers, lottery outlets and race tracks to place their bets on all the different games and sporting events that allow it, others outlaw it completely and simply drive it underground. When this happens, gambling mafias emerge to control the flow of gambling profits and the countries that host them make nothing in terms of monetary gain from them, but have to deal with the increase in related gangland crime all the same.

The focus on this article is therefore on the countries that do allow gambling in one form or another and to look at who the big gambling nations are and why.

Everyone looks to the United States in this area as they tend to have the most popularised gambling establishments in the casinos of Las Vegas and also Atlantic City along with many lesser known but equally glitzy casino resort towns and complexes. In addition to casinos, there is a huge trade in sports betting and state lotteries making the US, dollar for dollar easily the biggest player in the world of gambling. However, it's not the only one.

China is fast outpacing the US casinos with their own casino complexes and their superior population is providing gambling centres like Macau with continuing profits whereas the casinos of the US are reporting losses. Other far eastern nations are rapidly following suit with new casinos coming online in places like the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

In Europe, the UK is leading the way with its many forms of land based gambling, with more emphasis on sports netting and its national lottery outpacing their far smaller casino population, although there is continuing pressure on the government to grant licenses for Las Vegas style casino complexes to be built near large population concentrations. Monaco remains the best known European destination for high class casinos and high roller, champagne players, while other EU member states are making great inroads into their own home grown gambling industries.

In terms of gambling revenue generated by the top gambling countries, China is outperforming everyone else, mainly due to their huge population. The US and the UK are still top of the league when it comes to gambling revenue generated per capita of their respective populations. Countries that are seeing increases their own revenue generated by gambling include France, Italy, Spain, Jamaica, Costa Rica and South Africa to name a few. Poland's gamblers are famously spending more money on their passion than they are on tobacco and alcohol.

However, the crown for the dubious honour of the country having the biggest gamblers in the world has to go to the Australians, who per head of population spend more on gambling than they do on food. Their legendary love affair with the pokies amongst other forms of gambling is well known throughout the world.

Gambling in the real world is one thing, but gambling in the ether of cyberspace is another thing altogether. Online gambling is flourishing in all areas and in places where other forms of gambling are outlawed. Countries that are capitalising on this relatively recent phenomenon are seeing huge leaps in revenue from their regulatory laws set up to take a slice of operators' profits in taxation. The world leader in this is not the US, but the UK thanks to their uncustomary foresight into the potential for this growing industry. Following hot on their heels are Canada, Gibraltar, Antigua and Cyprus amongst other countries that have all seen the potential early on and licensed the world's largest online gambling operators before anyone else. The US have failed badly here, although they are currently trying to right that wrong although they are already too late to sign up the industry giants in this field.

So gambling revenues, glitz and glamour, online or offline preferences and forms of gambling notwithstanding, which country is the biggest lover of gambling? That's probably impossible to answer accurately, as it seems they all love it as much as each other!