In this article, we will look at the 15 countries with the most popular casino markets in 2025.
The global iGaming market in 2025 is flourishing, and estimates say it could be worth anywhere from $117.5 billion to $153 billion, depending on the source.
What’s behind this huge growth?
One of the key reasons for this are faster and more available smartphones, AI-powered games that offer more personalized play, and looser gambling laws in places that once used to be gray zones.
The dominant player in the field is still Europe, accounting for nearly 40–45% of global gambling revenue, thanks to its mature regulatory frameworks in countries such as the UK and the Nordic countries.
Meanwhile, North America continues to grow, with the US legalizing online casinos state by state. In Canada, Ontario is the first and only province that has regulated gambling, an extremely competitive hub.
In Latin America, Brazil is showing enormous potential after regulating online betting in January 2025, and in Asia, countries like India and the Philippines are growing despite their regulatory shadiness.
These regional shifts, combined with growing consumer behavior and the popularity of crypto payments, make iGaming one of the most dynamic digital industries in 2025.
Let’s now break down the markets.
United States
The US online gambling market is booming, but not all over the whole country, as laws vary by state. As of 2025, 30 states have legalized online sports betting, while online casino games are legal in a smaller group of states.
Here is the list of seven US states that allow full online gambling service:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- West Virginia
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
The US market is worth over $15 billion, driven by mobile betting apps and a notable shift from land-based casinos and sportsbooks to online platforms. Still, high taxes, advertising restrictions, and state-by-state regulation make this market quite challenging. Sports betting remains the dominant vertical, but casino and poker are quickly catching up in the regulated states.
Canada
Canada’s market is shaped by provincial autonomy. The most notable development is Ontario’s regulated iGaming market, launched in April 2022, which has become one of the most competitive and well-regulated digital gambling ecosystems, not only in Canada but in the whole North America.
For the latest year, the province reported gross gaming revenue of CA$3.20 billion (US$2.32 billion), marking a 32% year-on-year increase. Ontario lets private operators enter the market too, as long as they follow strict rules, making it a possible example for how the rest of Canada could do things in the future.
Other provinces operate under government-run monopolies, such as Loto-Québec and PlayNow in British Columbia and Manitoba.
Australia
Despite having very strict gambling regulations, Aussies bet over AUD 244 billion annually across all gambling forms. Online gambling alone pulls in over $10 billion yearly, and average player bets around $1200 online.
When it comes to shady websites, since 2019, Australian internet service providers have blocked over 1277 dodgy gambling websites.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the largest regulated online gambling market in Europe, with the revenue of €11.1 billion in 2023. When it comes to the gross gaming revenue, the UK holds a solid second place after Italy, with €21 billion.
The UK is one of the most structured and strictly regulated gambling industries in the world, thanks to the supervision of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Thanks to the deep cultural roots in betting and a tech-savvy population, the country has become a hotspot for online casinos, poker platforms, sports and other types of betting. There are a lot of sources where you can find out what are the best online casinos today in the UK.
Sweden
Sweden’s iGaming market is strongly regulated but, at the same time, challenged by an active black market. In 2024, the total legalized gambling revenue reached ~US $2.8 billion.
Netherlands
The Netherlands opened its online gambling door in April 2021 with the Remote Gambling Act, introducing licensing, mandatory proof of income checks for deposits over €700 a month, and responsible gaming measures. By 2024, the Dutch market was already generating approximately $1.19 billion in online gambling revenue.
Germany
Germany’s gambling regulations are among the strongest in Europe, with strict deposit limits and advertising restrictions. Despite this, the market is growing in both sports betting and online casino games. Operators like Betway and Bwin are the most popular out there.
Malta
This tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is the heart of global iGaming. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is one of the world’s most respected regulators, and its licensing is a golden ticket for operators everywhere. This EU country has built an entire system around online gambling and sports betting, with a contribution of over 12% to its GDP.
Spain
In Spain online gambling has been regulated since 2011, and its current worth is $1.60 billion, 18% of which is GGR in 2024. In Spain and Italy the use of land-based casinos is far more popular than online gambling.
Italy
Italy is currently the largest market considering the revenue, but not per capita. It’s worth $4.51 billion, and since 2006, it’s one of the first European markets to have gambling and sports betting fully regulated.
France
With a record-breaking €14 billion GGR in 2024, mostly coming from sports betting and horse racing, the French gambling market is among the most prominent ones. Betting on non-sport events and pure games of chance such as poker, roulette, or political outcomes, is still forbidden.
Brazil
From January 2025, sports betting platforms are fully legal in the biggest country of Latin America. Local giants like Betancional are drawing huge investment and attention, and it is one of the first betting platforms to obtain a fully operating licence in Brazil.
The country’s online betting market is expected to reach $10 billion in gross revenue by 2029.
Mexico
The Mexico gambling market was valued at $11.37 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $40.64 billion by 2033, despite all regulatory challenges. Their law on online gambling is outdated, and many operators still lack federal licenses.
India
As expected, India’s massive population and mobile-first culture have positioned the country as one of the fastest growing online gambling markets in the world. Despite physical casinos being legal only in specific states like Goa, Sikkim, and Daman, India’s online gambling sector has seen explosive growth.
Macau
Known as the Gambling capital of the world, Macau is the world’s richest gambling hub by revenue, and the only place in China with a legal and regulated gambling system. It relies heavily on high-roller VIP gamblers from mainland China and other parts of Asia.
Final words
The biggest gambling markets in 2025 aren’t just raking in billions, they face significant shortcomings. They’re juggling outdated laws, offshore operators, and players who want fast, flashy, AI-powered games on their smartphones, to keep their attention. Countries like the UK mostly keep it clean, while others like India and Mexico are rushing to establish regulations after the industry has already rapidly advanced.
