Gambling is huge. According to research, the market experienced a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% from 2014 to 2018. During this time, it reached a value of almost $449.3 billion and, by 2022, this value is forecast to have grown to nearly $565.4 billion.
Online gambling is especially big. Experts have predicted that in 2023, the market will be worth almost $92.9 billion. That’s almost double its current size of $59 billion, and the chances are it’s only going to get bigger.
Naturally, different countries have different preferences when it comes to games, with some games being more popular than others. Below is a look at the most popular games in different countries.
United States – Blackjack
The United States, when it comes to gaming, have shown they have a real passion for casino games, including blackjack. According to research from Statista, 45.53% of the respondents aged between 18 and 29 had played blackjack, roulette or poker in a casino in 2018.
Perhaps one of the reasons Americans enjoy sitting down to blackjack games is the flexibility the game offers in comparison to the European version. For instance, in American blackjack, the player can split three times, allowing them to have up to four hands in play, whereas in the European version, a player can split only once per hand.
Another reason for the American fondness for blackjack may be that if you’re good at it, you can make it a massive amount of money from playing the game, just as you can from other casino games. Smart, professional players have been able to outplay the casinos, within the law, and walk away with millions from the tables. Some players enter the premises with just a few thousand in cash but leave with so much more, thanks to simple choices of the games they play.
Japan – Pachinko
One game far outshines the rests when it comes to attracting players in Japan, and that’s pachinko. Although the number of pachinko parlors has been shrinking slightly, the industry remains huge, with players spending around $200 billion per year on the game. The industry brings in more than the Vegas casinos.
Pachinko is a pinball-style game, and the aim is to drop as many silver ball bearings as possible into a scoring hole, using a single wheel that controls how the balls shoot into the machine. These ball bearings are worth points that the players can then exchange for prizes, but if they don’t want the prizes, they can exchange them for cash a little away from the parlor. This puts pachinko in something of a legal grey area because Japan has a strong anti-gambling stance, even though the Japanese government considers pachinko a form of recreation rather than of gambling.
Spain – “El Gordo” (“The Fat One”)
Whereas the Japanese love a good game of pinball, the Spaniards love to gamble on El Gordo, which is the country’s Christmas lottery and is the largest lottery in the world. It’s well established as such and has been running for more than 200 years.
Often, the jackpot will be around 4 million euros (roughly $4.6 million). However, there are several smaller prizes, and these increase the total payout. Spanish culture is generous, and the Christmas lottery, the draw of which is televised every December, reflects this. The intention of the lottery is thought to be to give as many people a Christmas bonus as possible.
Early in the New Year, Spain holds another large lottery draw, similar to El Gordo. This one is called “El Niño,” and although the prize up for grabs isn’t quite as big as El Gordo’s, it’s still substantial. A first-prize ticket will reward the lucky recipient with roughly 2 million euros (about $2.3 million).
Northern Ireland – Lottery
Just like Spain, players in Ireland enjoying putting money on the lottery. In fact, in research by the country’s Department for Communities, three out of four respondents had played some form of gambling game in the last 12 months. The National Lottery was the most popular game, and 51% of these respondents had played it.
As a result, Ireland has decided to overhaul its gambling, which it sees as somewhat dated now, and the new legislation will offer more clarity (and freedom) for anyone wishing to operate gambling services.
Under new laws, on-premises gaming will be permitted, following application approval by the police, so long as the maximum stake is no more than €10 and the maximum prize is less than €3,000 (approximately $3,520) or, in the case of lotteries and prize draws, less than €5,000 (around $5,865). To offer larger prizes, operators must apply for authorization at a district level.
And there also seems to be a reason beyond the thrill of playing the lottery that attracts the Irish to the game: they stand a good chance of winning it. A December 2020 article on news website Irish News documented how several Irish players had won big on lotteries, including wins as large as €27 million (around $31.6 million).
Depending on where you are in the world, you may find yourself playing blackjack or pachinko or other games that involve elements of skill more than you would other types of gambling. Alternatively, you may choose to lay your money down on a lottery ticket and leave the rest of your money’s fate in the hands of the organizers. Wherever you are, you’re sure to enjoy the game, no matter what that might be.
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