It is now 2025, and the global gambling scene is growing exponentially. The market’s revenue is ~$107.30bn. We, at Onlinebestbet, have prepared an overview of the iGaming markets share around the world with real stats and trends.
How did we do it? We analyzed the current industry data and numbers, we conducted more than 15 polls among our readers and we compared 100+ casinos.
In this page, we share our findings showing emerging trends, player tendencies, and revealing numbers.
Key Takeaways:
- The global gambling market is estimated to be worth more than $138.10bn by 2028.
- There are nearly 5,000 online casinos right now with a CAGR of 6.3%, portraying a steady growth in the last 5 years (a trend that will probably stick).
- The number of players will increase 10-fold in the next 4 years, reaching 245 million users.
- The percentage of the population who actively gamble online is 2.5%, with an upward trend of 0.5% increase every two years.
- Official data shows that bet365 is the gambling company with the largest brand value worldwide ($4.02bn) followed by Genting ($3.62bn).
- The key regions for online gambling remain Europe, the USA, Asia, and Africa, with exponential growth predicted in Japan.
- Regulations will become stricter and stricter with markets like the USA, Australia, and Canada (Ontario) blazing the trail.
- Our market insights show an increase in younger people turning to online gambling, more responsible gaming tools incorporation, and original games dominance.
Online gambling statistics
World gambling statistics show that around 26% of the population gamble. That means around 1.6 billion people worldwide gamble and 4.2 billion gamble at least once every year. When it comes to online gambling and demographic statistics, a UK study concludes that 17% of the population gamble online, resulting in £5.3 billion in revenue for the online market alone.In the US the numbers are quite different, in 2016 only 3% out of the 4.2 billion who said they gamble regularly said they played online. This number must have gone up in the following years however, as the revenue in 2018 landed on $306.5 billion for the US online gambling market.
Popularity of Casino Games
Games remain the go-to choice for players no matter if they play in a land venue or online. The numbers are stunning. A 2021 case study by Statista revealed that there are 767,000 slot machines in the USA alone. Not surprisingly, online casinos boast the highest number of slots in their gaming library. Brands with 5,000+ slot games are not uncommon.
The second most played games online are video poker and blackjack, which are almost at a tie.
Then come games like craps, baccarat, and betgames.
An emerging trend is the popularity of live casino show games based on popular TV shows or board games like Monopoly, Deal or No Deal, Megaball, Wheel of Fortune, etc.
Future iGaming Trends – What We Think Is Ahead
The iGaming scene is constantly changing. So here are some emerging trends that we are just beginning to see.
Crypto & Blockchain
Crypto gambling is booming, offering fast, anonymous, and borderless transactions. Blockchain also powers “provably fair” games and decentralized platforms, attracting a tech-savvy audience and expanding gambling into new markets.
Mobile Gaming
Online gambling has gone mobile, with over 60% of users placing bets or playing casino games via smartphones. The rise of 5G, optimized apps, and mobile-first design has made gambling more convenient and accessible than ever, fueling rapid growth.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI personalizes the gambling experience by recommending games and bonuses based on user behavior. It also powers real-time fraud detection, customer support chatbots, and tools to promote responsible gambling by flagging risky behavior.