Unless you have spent a considerable amount of time stranded on a desert island, you will have noticed that the international gambling market represents one of the world’s biggest growth industries. According to data from Statista, the global gambling market will generate an incredible $351 billion in 2015, continuing an upward trend that began in earnest in 2009. An increasingly influential driver of this growth is online gambling, which generated $32 billion in 2014 and is expected to surpass that figure by the end of this year. This has coincided with the rise in popular platforms such as Paddy Power live dealer casino, which offer immersive and interactive gaming in real-time to players from around the globe. With online gambling becoming increasingly popular and replicating the type of live interactions enjoyed between players and dealers, this sector of the market will become even more popular in the next decade.
So what does this mean for the online gambling sector? To begin with, it means that a rising number of gamblers will either play more prolifically online or switch platforms entirely, as they prioritize virtual casinos over bricks and mortar establishments. This is a transition that is already taking place, with premium locations in Vegas and Macau recording reduced turnover towards the end of 2014 and continuing to lose customers. This means that we while we can expect bricks and mortar gambling revenues to plateau in the next few years, online casino revenues will soar and narrow the gap.