People gamble for a myriad of reasons. Some do it professionally to make a living, while others do it for fun or as a pastime activity. Regardless of the reason, gambling can be a great way to spend time and get an unforgettable experience.

The gaming industry has grown and is now accessible to most people, thanks to the rise of innovations and the inventions of online casinos. It has seen an increase in gambling communities in most countries that many people did not anticipate at all.

When you hear about large gambling communities, the first thing that might come to your mind is Las Vegas. While it is a casino haven, you’ll be surprised to learn that Americans do not rank first in numbers of gamblers per country.

Some countries surpass the United States by far when it comes to gambling. Thus, read on to find out which countries have the largest gambling communities in the world.

Australia

Gambling is prevalent in Australia, with the country ranking among top locations with the most significant gambling communities in the southern hemisphere. Australians love betting on sports, with the most popular sports being cricket and rugby.

The Aussies also gamble on games of chance, like the video slots, which they refer to as ‘pokies.’ In Australia, video games are placed in different places, including casinos, local restaurants, and even pubs.

Pokies are popular among gambling communities, and, according to the country’s productive commission, nearly 75-80% of people with gambling problems are addicted to pokies.

There have been increased rates in gaming yields and gambler’s losses in Australia. The country has by far the largest gaming yield per adult in the world, which stands at $1,288 every year. It led to more than 935 gamblers registering to be banned from casinos between 2006 and 2010, with most of them being caught breaching the same ban they registered for.

Singapore

Gambling in Singapore may have started about a decade ago, but the gambling community has grown really fast, making the government worried. According to The New York Times, the government has resorted to implementing policies that discourage gambling to prevent addiction cases and the fast increase in gambling activities.

Today, all locals have to pay an $81 entry fee before they can go to the casinos. The government also enacted the “Family Exclusion Orders” that families can use to ban their members from visiting the casinos.

Despite all these stringent measures, gambling in Singapore is still growing quickly. The country is the third-largest gambling center in the world after Las Vegas and Macau. Singapore reported a gaming yield of $1,174 per adult in the past years.

Canada

Canadians love to gamble on lotteries, as well as scratch and win cards. In the past year, more than 75% of Canadian adults have been engaged in some form of gambling.

The biggest gambling community in Canada is from the potash-rich province of Saskatchewan, where the gambling yield per capita is $841 compared to the country’s average of $568.

According to CBC News, gambling in Canada is prevalent in the way that parents may include lottery tickets as part of their children’s Christmas gift. It has made the government set up an initiative to discourage this practice because such gifts encourage minors to start gambling.

Ireland

Ireland’s casino industry is highly unregulated because of its old Gaming and Lottery Act of 1956. The Act stipulates that there should not be bets of more than sixpence on gaming machines, and the rewards should be a maximum of ten shillings. But this law didn’t work because the country stopped using the Irish pound as the legal tender since 1999.

Irish people have a passion for gambling. The government is even currently building a Las Vegas-style complex at an estimated cost of $668 million. The venue is expected to house a hotel, a casino, a golf course, and a racecourse.

The game yield per capita in Ireland stands at $588. This high figure has made the government enact laws to regulate the gaming industry there.

Despite the laws, the game yield per capita still remains high. Mike Tan, a partner at OnlineCasinoGems.com, noted, “Governments should enact policies that will require license holders to remind their customers to play responsibly. The best way to do it is by showing players how much they lose.”

Finland

In Finland, the government is fully involved in managing gambling activities. The country’s national lottery is a government entity, whose revenue is channeled towards culture, education, and arts. It also pays some of the returns to loyal customers, who are certified to be suffering from gambling addiction.

About 41% of adult Finland citizens gamble, and the gaming yield per capita among adults in Finland is $553. From the country’s law, the minimum gambling age was revised to eighteen years in 2011 up from fifteen years. It was done to prevent participating among teenagers.

Locals can play the lottery, as well as online casino platforms. Still, the number of gambling fans in this country is remarkable.

United States

The United States ranks among the countries with the biggest gambling communities, too. The gambling market of the country has been rising at a steady rate over the years.
 
It was $495 billion in 2019, up from $220 billion in 2001. According to Gambling News Magazine, Las Vegas remains the most popular destination for offline gambling.
 
The most preferred online casino games in the United States are poker, lottery, and bingo, among others. Online gambling is legal in some states and illegal in others. Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware are some of the states where online gambling is legal.
 
Online sports betting is banned across the US, but this law is being challenged. Sports betting is only allowed in land-based casinos.

Italy

With a gaming yield of $517 losses per adult, Italy closes this list of the countries with the largest gambling communities in the world. Most of the Italian gamblers prefer playing electronic gaming machines, like slots. These machines generate half of the country’s gaming revenues.

The gaming industry in Italy started several decades ago and is one of the oldest in Europe. Italy is known for inventing baccarat, a game that is played in most casinos today.

In 1638, Italy became the first country in Europe to open a government-sanctioned casino in Venice, which was called “The Ridotto.” However, this casino was later shut down in 1774 by the Venetian government to put moderation on gambling activities.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Australia has the most passionate gambling community in the world. The Aussie’s gamblers lose about $1,288 per adult year. Gambling in Australia is largely contributed by the people’s love for sports and the access to pokies throughout the country.

The Singapore gambling community follows Australian closely with $1,174 losses per adult. While Singapore’s gaming industry is still young, the community is growing at a very fast rate. The other leading countries include Canada, Ireland, Finland, the US, and Italy. Thus, now you know in which countries people fancy gambling the most.