The unstoppable growth of online gambling and what 2030 has in store

Today, casino games and sports betting generate over 95 billion in profits in the United States alone. By the time 2033 comes, it’s estimated that this sum will increase to 188 billion at the least, basically doubling the industry’s size in a matter of 8 years.

According to Business Wire, this growth is due to the way in which various American states are progressively legalizing online gambling. This goes hand in hand with the fact that smartphones are becoming more popular gaming tools by the day, which enhances both accessibility and user experience. 

Speaking of the American continent, the popularity of online casinos and sportsbooks goes well beyond the US. Latin America is one of the most promising regions for online gambling in the world, and it's seen by most operators as a market to keep an eye out for and seriously invest in over the next few years. 

Over the course of the next few years, the stage is set for online gambling to continue its growth trend across the world, but in Latin America in particular. We’ll see an increase in regulated markets with more games, no deposit bonuses, additional payment options, and more.

• For well over a decade, Brazil was a grey area in the region. After the approval of the Betting Law 14.790/2023, the country began a regularization process for international operators to settle in Brazil, starting in January 2025. The country joins Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico as some of the biggest countries to legalize gambling in the region. 
• Peru and Paraguay are following a similar path. Peru passed Law 31,557 in 2022, beginning its own legalization process that continues to this day, with new operators establishing themselves in Peru as time goes by. Paraguay is seen as a “market to watch,” with new laws set to be passed in the coming years.
• Chile has its own internal struggle. Board 13.838-03 got passed in 2023, which looks to legalize and regulate casinos and sportsbooks to license them in the country. However, it hasn’t been implemented yet. In the coming year, as new laws look to get implemented, the government will continue blocking unlicensed casinos until the SCJ manages to properly regulate them.

In North America, Canada and Mexico fly the legalization flag as high as they can, in an even more effective way than the US. Mexico’s SEGOB and the provincial government of Ontario are clear examples to be followed throughout the Americas.

Europe isn't getting left behind: the majority of EU nations have some sort of online gambling law that allows citizens to safely and legally gamble online, mostly due to how popular soccer is across the continent.

• Even though Ontario is a leading market in Canadian online gambling, the next few years can be crucial for the country to establish itself as a global powerhouse if more provinces are to follow. Extra regulations and laws can help players from all over Canada to ditch Maltese and Curaçaoan casinos in favor of locally licensed sites.
• Europe has become what many consider the golden standard of global gambling, with entities such as the MGA becoming ever more compliant with KYC and AML topics, as well as data protection and responsible gambling tools. Most countries that look to implement laws can use European laws as a standard when implementing their own, and this is likely to continue in the coming years.

Online gambling poses a common issue to the Middle East, just like alcohol does, mostly due to how devoted they are to Islamism. Even so, we’ve seen leaps taken in the past few years, and we're likely going to see more by 2030. Asia is doing something similar, even though things are going slower than many expected. 

• The UAE created the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) to regulate gambling at a national level, granting the country’s first-ever casino license to Wynn Resorts to open the first land-based establishment in 2027. As per iGaming Express, online casino licenses may be granted at a rate of one per emirate in the coming years. 
• Thailand tried to regulate online gambling before, but shockingly, 69% of the population is against it, as per Reuters. The country is one to keep an eye out for in the coming years.
• The region of Kamataka, in India, proposed the creation of a state-wide regulation, as reported by the Times of India. The country tried to regulate and control online casinos for a while, but to no avail. If it were to manage it successfully, it could be crucial for the global gambling scenario, considering how big India is. 

Taking a look at past trends, it’s safe to say that countries with no regulated markets will first legalize sports betting before moving on to the casino world. Regardless of which odds and payout rates local casinos offer, they will always be safer than international casinos. 

That’s why experts always recommend gambling on licensed sites, and why governments insist on licensing sites even if the population is against it, as it happens in Thailand.

Playing nationally means having access to online casinos and sportsbooks where, if things go wrong, there will be an easily accessible authority to lend a hand. The future of online gambling is promising, not only for casinos, but for players who are looking for useful ways to legally gamble online.

This article was written in cooperation with The Casino Wizard