Are the USA and UK gambling markets alike?

article

Some people consider the gambling market different in each country due to distinct national mindsets and laws. People have specific values and search for whatever is trending in their area. This rule applies to all fields of business, including online gambling.

The industry has seen an upward revenue and general interest trend from the start. But, due to laws and regulations, it got fragmented. So, players must be careful when visiting other countries and considering betting.

UK's gross gambling yield reached 14 billion pounds in 2022 (~17.5 billion dollars). Around 27% of Great Britain's population engages in betting activities at least once a week. In comparison, the US gambling market had outstanding growth in 2022, reaching 54.9 billion dollars.

Licensing in Great Britain

The UK Gambling Commission is the authority that supervises and manages the market. They can allow online casinos to operate on the British market or remove their right to do it. This working permit is one of the most powerful in the world because it can grant access to other countries.

However, the British betting industry has over 60 legal casinos. You might need a comparison platform to help you find the best casino with the slots you're looking for. Casino Alpha includes in their list of recommendations casino operators that are UKGC-approved and that follow all the guidelines and regulations. Their platform ensures that online players get to experience a safe gaming environment.

Great Britain's industry is improving fast and is one of the leading gambling markets in the world. After they banned gambling online with a credit card, numerous other states and jurisdictions also considered implementing this safe approach.

Legal backgrounds in America

The Supreme Court's decision in 2018 to dissolve the federal sports betting ban is the latest activity that helped strengthen American industry. This new rule has led to several states legalising and regulating the activity. 

Gambling laws are primarily decided at the state level, meaning that each jurisdiction can have its own set of rules and gambling authorities. Currently, you can safely bet online in five states.

States that allow gambling typically have a regulatory body that oversees the industry, just like their British counterparts. This can take different forms depending on the state, but common examples include a state lottery commission, gaming control board, or racing commission.

So, both the US and the UK have the same control, but Great Britain is a step ahead because there are fewer states and people to manage. American gambling commissions provide great security for players.

There are just more rules to follow if you want to bet without any risk.

What do Brits play the most in casinos?

Recent statistics show that Brits are really into online slots. In a survey by the UK Gambling Commission in 2020, slots were the most commonly played game type, with about 70% of online gamblers reporting playing them in the past four weeks. According to Finder, they spend 2.7 pounds (~3.4 dollars) weekly on betting.

Roulette was the second most popular game type, with around 15% of online players. Sports betting is also trending; they bet the most on football (soccer) and horse racing.

The same survey also found that online slots accounted for the largest share of online casino gross gambling yield in Great Britain, generating £2.2 billion in the year ending March 2020. This was followed by online table games, which generated £638 million, and online card games, which generated £270 million.

American gambling trends

In the US gambling market, the popularity of different casino games can vary depending on the state and region. However, specialists observed some general trends.

Slot machines bring about 72% of the gross gambling revenue, according to a statement by American Gaming Association in 2021. This means that Americans and tourists of legal age prefer spinning the reels in a more significant number than other casino games. Table games account for approximately 16% of casino revenue, while sports betting accounts for around 5%. However, other data shows that over 40% of respondents bought lottery tickets in 2020.

A national trend is to bet more on sports when the Super Bowl is about to start or even in playing. US citizens enjoy betting on matches and tournament winners. They also take their chances on propositional bets like Super Bowl MVP, anthem length and total points scored. 

Final take

Although the markets grew and developed differently, there are global trends that people pick to follow. Playing slots is the number one global casino trend, and data from the UK and USA proves it.

The Supreme Court can indeed change more things for the American gambling industry, including legalising it in more states. It can look into how it is implemented in the UK, but this is unnecessary. People in non-gambling American jurisdictions don't care that much about betting. They can hop into an aeroplane and visit Las Vegas casinos or online platforms if they want to try it.