iGaming Business – The online gaming and betting sector generated a global gross win of €25bn in 2012, an increase of 7,2% on 2011 which compares with 3.1% growth recorded by the land-based gambling sector in 2012, industry figures published by iGaming Business’s new and exclusive data partner H2 Gambling Capital reveal.
The igaming sector accounted for 8% of all gross gaming revenues generated by the gambling sector in 2012, a figure that is set to reach 11.1% by 2018, H2’s figures showed.
That percentage is currently generated mainly by European markets, where interactive gambling has a penetration rate of 12.6% compared with just 4.4% for North America, although that differential between the two blocs is expected to narrow over the next few years as US regulation in particular delivers growth and new revenues for the sector.
The industry-wide figures also coincide with H2 data showing that Americans spent US$2.6bn on offshore gaming sites in 2012, a figure picked up by the American Gaming Association at this week’s G2E event in Las Vegas to highlight the need for effective regulation of the igaming sector stateside.
The release of the feature film ‘Runner, Runner’, a fictional account of how a bright maths student falls into the world of online poker complete with tails of super user accounts which will be familiar to many in the sector, coincides with the release of the H2 figures and the call from the AGA.
Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the AGA, commented: “’Runner, Runner’ is a fictional account of a lawless online poker world ruled by shady and unethical characters that sadly is not far from reality for millions of Americans who simply want to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes in a safe online environment.
“Americans account for nearly 10% of the global online gaming marketplace at a time when the business is illegal in all but three American states. It is past time for policymakers to put necessary safeguards in place.”
