Indian Country Today Media Network – Ever wonder how many slot machines there are in all of Africa? Parking spots at the only legal casino in Malaysia? Electronic bingo games in Central America?
The answers: 30,297; 7,289; and 154, respectively.
Those, and many more intriguing numbers—including estimates of revenue, where available, by country and region—are included in the 2013 edition of Casino City’s Global Gaming Almanac. It’s the seventh edition of this international guidebook from a company that has delved deeper than most into the vast and varied world of gaming.
For tribal officials wanting to learn more about the global market, financial, legal and regulatory information about land-based and online gambling in 200 regions and jurisdictions around the world, it’s all here in a text-heavy volume that comes in at just under 670 pages. That includes a section listing more than 300 gaming property owners worldwide, along with their contact information, just in case you want to get in touch.
There are interesting charts and graphs sprinkled throughout, including sports betting growth, by region, from 2008 to 2011. And fun facts galore—the Royal Commission in Western Australia in 1972 granted bingo permits to religious and charitable organizations, reasoning that “legislating and regulating bingo would satisfy individuals’ desires for gambling while both supporting worthy causes and protecting the population from the criminal elements often associated with gambling.” But the most fascinating data, as always, are revenues. Yes, there’s a lot of money in gaming. Who knew?
No one can be an expert on every casino in the world, but the publishers of this almanac try to offer the most complete information possible, highlighting a whopping 4,200 gaming properties. It’s a lot to take in, and the details—like the aforementioned parking space highlights—can sometimes lead the reader to wonder who on Earth really needs to know all this stuff.
