Popular casino genres around the world

Few industries spread around the globe quite as fast as gambling does. The act of living on the edge is quite stimulating for a lot of people, as is the opportunity to hit it big.

People like learning about hot new fads from around the world too, so for that reason, word about new gambling and betting developments gets around quick. Without further ado, today, we are going to analyze which gambling genres have hit it big around the world and why.

Biggest global moneymakers

Worldwide sports betting tends to be the activity people worldwide are most often involved in, however, the biggest moneymaker is casino games. United Nations has analyzed how much money is being bet every year on legal markets as well as the black market. It estimated that in 2023, 773.7 billion dollars was wagered in casinos worldwide, projecting that figure to top 1 trillion USD by 2030. As for sports betting, the figure it provided for legal betting was 474 billion, illegal betting – double that amount.

In terms of sheer market size, here are the gambling genres absorbing the most money:

Slots

When you walk into a casino, the first thing you see everywhere, one after another, are slot machines, each with brilliant, flashy graphics and loud sounds beckoning you. They’re filled with jewels, bonuses, and unique themes and stories. 

On top of that, they’re incredibly simple to play. All you have to do is pull the lever and whether or not you win is based on pure luck. There is no careful planning or risk of making an ill-advised decision to lose all your money. As if those weren’t enough to sweeten the pot, playing slots online requires just a tiny monetary investment on your part, and entire blocks of slots combine for multi-million-dollar jackpots.

Football

Football is the sports betting equivalent of slots, as it eats up the lion’s share of sports bets. Similar to slots, the rules for the game are not entirely complicated – when a player kicks a ball past the goalie, their team gets a point, and you don’t want the other team doing that against the team you’re wagering on. 

Compare that to other favorite traditional sports like American football, baseball, and cricket, which many people are puzzled by watching it for the first time. This limits the popularity of these sports to specific regions where they’re widespread enough that pretty much everybody knows the rules.

This simplicity and relatively non-violent nature of football has rendered it something popular for kids to engage in while growing up around the world. By that same token, countries’ national teams have the ability to compete against others, for a delightful rivalry between nations.

One way that this differs from slots, of course, is the great variety of in-game bets that can be placed as well as the complexity of combination bets. Bettors’ knowledge and familiarity with the sport and players also plays a profound role in whether or not they will win too. 

Lotteries

Perhaps the biggest reason for the universality of lotteries is the level of permissiveness that governments have for them. They are the lowest-cost form of gambling to get involved in. Like slots, the winner is essentially solely determined by luck. 

The only way a player could inflate their odds is by buying a lot more tickets. The number of players is so great though that the chances of winning are astonishingly infinitesimal. But the prize is bigger than in any other game. For these reasons, it’s an incredibly widespread activity in practically the whole world.

Poker

In great contrast to slots, this game is all about the particular player’s wits, and thus it appeals to a completely different subset of gamblers. People get to outwit each other with different strategies all the while enjoying social interaction.

Crash games

The drive for instant gratification coupled with the potential to hit it big in quick, frequent games has led to the immense popularity of crash games. These have grown more creative over time. Mines game online draws inspiration from the old computer game, and on every step the player can choose whether to walk away with their winnings or continue to risk everything for a chance at a higher and higher payout.

The Americas

There are a lot of similarities in gambling trends throughout both North and South America. Sports betting dominates throughout the continents. The United States is quickly headed to becoming the largest sports betting market and iGaming market in the world. In terms of sports betting, the Murphy vs National Collegiate Athletic Association case led to states legalizing 39 states legalizing sports betting, yet only 7 US states have legalized online gambling. The leading sports for betting in USA is American football followed by baseball and basketball. MMA and hockey are also popular there.

Canada legalized sports betting even more recently in 2021, with hockey as its most popular sport to bet on. As for gambling, the right to operate casinos has been given only to province authorities in most cases with an eye to maintain social responsibility. Ontario is the first province to legalize online gambling.

Latin America

In contrast to their Northern neighbors and more in line with the rest of the world, football takes in about 2/3 of all sports bets in Latin America. In countries like Mexico, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico, baseball is very popular and basketball has been gaining ground there as of late. Then there is cockfighting, a blood sport legal in Colombia and Venezuela. 

Europe

Europe has been the world-leading region in the gambling industry, both in terms of casino games and sports betting. While football dominates the most, Europe also has an appreciation for basketball, baseball, hockey, and cricket. Horse racing is popular throughout the globe as well, since it’s very frequently allowed an exception in betting legislation.

United Kingdom 

The nation has enjoyed a great deal of hybrid games. One of its most popular games is Slingo, a popular combination of bingo and slots. This adds an element of strategy and novelty.

France

Table games are extremely popular, especially traditional games like roulette, which in French means “little wheel” and provides a fast-paced thrill. La Partage is a version of it which reduces the house’s edge. 

Germany

Citizens play a lot of slots with specific story modes and themes like pirate sailing. These are also practically the only casino games available as obtaining licenses to offer card game playing is a tall task with German regulators.

Asia

Though banned practically everywhere in the continent, gambling has thrived in large part due to VPNs, crypto, and vacationing where it’s legal. Baccarat is especially popular in Asia.

China

Formally, gambling is only permitted in Macau, but gamblers all around China wager online anyway in offshore casinos. One favorite is Pai Gow Poker, in which players are given 7 cards and are tasked with making a 2-card low set along with a 5-hard high set. Then, to win the primary bet, their two hands have to outscore the banker’s. Sic bo is big there as well, as is the state-run Chinese lottery.

Japan

Pachinko is by far the most popular traditional gambling game in Japan and is given an exception under Japanese gambling law. The game is a combination of pinball and slot machines. The industry generates a whopping 20 billion USD every year.

Singapore

The Toto lottery is hugely popular here, and the most popular casino games are baccarat, blackjack, and roulette. 

South Korea

Unlike its neighbors, a limited number of sports can be legally bet on here as long as the bets are placed with the Korea Sports Foundation. 

Africa

In part due to Internet availability issues, online casino gambling pales in comparison to sports betting in Africa, namely – football. According to GeoPoll, 76% of wagers placed in Africa are placed on the sport, with casino gambling accounting for less than 10% of their bets and other sports accounting for 5%.