Gambling Industry Trends & Statistics
Key market data and trends for the global gambling industry, with a 2026 focus on the US sports betting expansion, UK regulatory developments, and the rapid rise of regulated prediction markets. All figures sourced from named organisations.
Global Online Gambling Market Size
Source: Grand View Research, March 2025 — online gambling only (excludes land-based, lotteries)
Online Market (USD Billions)
11.9% CAGR (2025–2030): Grand View Research projects the online-only market to reach $153.57B by 2030. Note: total gambling (land-based + online) is significantly larger — various estimates put it at $400–600B depending on scope.
Wide variation exists between research firms. Global Market Insights ($95.5B for 2024) and Expert Market Research ($189B) use different scope definitions. GVR's online-only figure is the most commonly cited comparable series.
US Sports Betting: Record Growth
Source: American Gaming Association State of the States 2025, February 2025
US Handle & Revenue by Year
US Operator Market Share, FY2024 GGR
Source: The Lines / Legal Sports Report market share analysis. FanDuel and DraftKings figures are analyst estimates; BetMGM from company press release (Feb 2025).
Duopoly dynamic: FanDuel + DraftKings hold a combined ~74% of US sports betting GGR. Total US commercial gaming revenue reached $71.92B in 2024 (fourth consecutive record year), with online gambling representing $21.54B (30%).
UK Remote Gambling Market
Source: UK Gambling Commission Industry Statistics, November 2024 (April 2023–March 2024)
Remote Sector Gross Gambling Yield — £6.9B Total (up 6.9% YoY)
Total GB gambling (all sectors): £15.6B GGY in 2023-24, up 3.5% YoY and 10.2% above pre-pandemic levels. Remote gambling (online) accounts for 44% of all GB gambling yield.
The UKGC's November 2024 statistics also cover April 2024–March 2025 (2024-25 full year) in a separate release.
Prediction Markets: The Fastest-Growing Segment
Sources: The Block (Jan 2026), Sidley Austin (Feb 2026), Holland & Knight (Feb 2026), The Defiant (Oct 2024)
Regulatory & Market Timeline
Polymarket 2024 US election
$3.6B+ total volume on presidential race alone; $2.5B in October 2024 alone
Source: The Defiant
Kalshi hits $1B monthly volume
First regulated US prediction market exchange reaches billion-dollar monthly milestone
Source: Forbes / blockchain.news
Kalshi record month
$6.38B notional volume; full-year 2025 total: $23.8B, up 1,108% YoY
Source: The Block
CFTC withdraws proposed ban
Chairman Quintenz announces withdrawal of 2024 proposed rule that would have banned political and sports event contracts; new rulemaking directed
Source: Sidley Austin / Holland & Knight
State jurisdictional battles
Nevada, New Jersey courts side with Kalshi (CEA federal preemption). Maryland, Massachusetts rule against. Legal landscape remains fragmented.
Source: Holland & Knight legal briefing
Major Prediction Market Platforms
Legal status: Legal in all US states
Markets: Politics, economics, weather, sports
$11B valuation; $23.8B notional in 2025
Legal status: US access restored Nov 2025 (CFTC approved)
Markets: Politics, crypto, global events
$3.6B+ on 2024 US election alone
Legal status: CFTC no-action letter; legal status contested
Markets: Political markets; $850 position limit
CFTC attempted to revoke exemption in 2022; ongoing
Legal status: Mixed: NV/NJ courts favour Kalshi; MD/MA against
Markets: Sports event contracts specifically challenged
Federal Commodity Exchange Act preemption is the central legal question
Why prediction markets matter for the broader industry: The CFTC's January 2026 reversal — withdrawing the proposed ban and directing new rulemaking — signals that prediction markets will operate in a regulated US environment going forward. With Kalshi's $11B valuation and 1,108% growth in 2025, this is the fastest-growing segment in the US gambling/wagering space. The state-by-state legal battles will define the regulatory framework through 2026–27.
Technology Driving the Market
Based on industry consensus, operator surveys, and regulatory guidance documents
Artificial IntelligenceHigh Impact
62%+ of major operators now use AI-driven RG monitoring. The UKGC explicitly references AI detection in its affordability check pilot results (2025).
In-Play / Live BettingHigh Impact
95% of 2024 US sports betting handle was placed online; live in-play markets now represent the largest single product category by bet count at major sportsbooks.
Mobile Apps & UXHigh Impact
Denmark Gambling Authority: 66.3% of all stakes placed via mobile in 2024. UK UKGC data: 56%+ of UK gamblers used a smartphone to gamble in the past year.
Crypto / Stablecoin PaymentsMedium Impact
Crypto adoption is real but hard to quantify precisely. Tether (USDT) has significantly grown its share of crypto gambling transactions since 2022. Some crypto-native platforms (Stake.com) report $1B+ monthly deposit volumes.
Mobile Betting Dominance
Sources: Danish Gambling Authority 2024 statistics; UKGC consumer research 2024; AGA State of the States 2025
Danish Gambling Authority 2024 — most reliable single-country official figure
UKGC consumer research: 56%+ of UK gamblers used smartphone in past year
95% of 2024 handle placed online (mobile + desktop). AGA does not break out mobile separately.
Global estimate (~75%): Multiple market research reports cite 75% of all online gambling activity via mobile, but the primary research origin for this specific global figure is not consistently documented. The official country-level data above (Denmark 66%, UK 56%+) is more reliable than global aggregates.
Responsible Gambling: Regulatory Tightening
Sources: GamStop corporate statistics 2024–2025; UK Gambling Commission official guidance
Total GamStop registrations (UK)
Cumulative to Dec 2024
Source: GamStop
2025 new registrations growth
vs 2024 full year
Source: GamStop corporate blog
Under-25s registrations (H2 2024)
vs H2 2023
Source: SBC News / GamStop
UKGC affordability check threshold
Net deposits / 30 days (from Feb 2025)
Source: UK Gambling Commission
UKGC Affordability Check Timeline
Preliminary financial vulnerability checks required for customers with >£500 net deposits in a rolling 30-day period. Credit reference data used for 97% frictionless check rate in initial pilot.
Threshold tightened to £150 net deposits per 30 days. 1.7 million accounts tested with 97% passing without player friction.
All licensed operators must provide mandatory deposit limit tools (upcoming requirement per UKGC). Full financial risk assessments remain in development.
Regional Spotlight
Sources: Grand View Research 2025; Vixio / iGaming Business LatAm Report 2024; IMARC Group Asia-Pacific Online Gambling Market 2025
Latin America
Brazil launches federal licensing — market set to quadruple
Brazil launched its federal licensing regime in January 2025 with 71 operators approved (of 114 applicants). Market projected to reach $6B+ GGR by 2028 — more than half of all LatAm regulated revenue. Total regulated LatAm online GGR: $2.5B (2024) → ~$12B (2028).
Source: Vixio / iGaming Business LatAm Report 2024
Asia-Pacific
~$18.5–23.9B online market, 9–13% CAGR
Online gambling market size estimates range $18.5B–$23.9B in 2024 across research firms (IMARC, Market Data Forecast). Sports betting accounts for 45.4% of the APAC online segment. Mobile-first with 60.1% of market share via mobile. Australia, Philippines, and regulated eSports markets are key drivers.
Source: IMARC Group / Mordor Intelligence 2025
North America
$71.92B total commercial gaming revenue in 2024 — fourth consecutive record
US commercial gaming hit $71.92B in 2024 (AGA). Online gaming (sports + iGaming) reached $21.54B, or 30% of the total. iGaming alone (available in 7 states) generated $8.41B, up 28.7% YoY. States like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan lead iGaming adoption.
Source: AGA Commercial Gaming Revenue February 2025
Europe
UK GGY £15.6B; EU market stable with regulatory harmonisation ongoing
UK total gambling yield £15.6B for 2023-24 (UKGC). Remote gambling alone £6.9B (+6.9%). Across the EU, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) estimates the regulated online gambling market at ~€29.5B in 2024. Regulatory focus on affordability, advertising restrictions, and AI-driven harm detection.
Source: UKGC November 2024; EGBA estimates 2024
Primary Data Sources
American Gaming Association (AGA)
State of the States 2025, Feb 2025 — US handle, revenue, state count
UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)
Industry Statistics Nov 2024 — UK GGY by sector, affordability checks
GamStop
Corporate blog 2024–2025 — UK self-exclusion registration data
Grand View Research
Online Gambling Market report, March 2025 — global market size/CAGR
The Block
Prediction markets duopoly analysis, Jan 2026 — Kalshi/Polymarket volumes
Holland & Knight
Prediction Markets at a Crossroads, Feb 2026 — CFTC/state legal status
Sidley Austin
CFTC Signals Rulemaking, Feb 2026 — CFTC proposed rule withdrawal
The Defiant
Polymarket election volume reporting, Oct 2024
The Lines / Legal Sports Report
US operator market share analysis, FY2024 — FanDuel/DraftKings shares
Vixio / iGaming Business
LatAm Online Gambling Market Report 2024 — Brazil, regional projections
IMARC Group
Asia-Pacific Online Gambling Market 2025 — APAC size, mobile share
Danish Gambling Authority
Annual statistics 2024 — mobile stake share (66.3%)
Methodology note: Global market size figures vary widely across research firms due to different scope definitions (online-only vs. total gambling, inclusion of lotteries and land-based). Where discrepancies are significant they are noted inline. All regulatory and volume data is sourced from primary organisations (AGA, UKGC, GamStop, CFTC filings) wherever available. Operator market share figures for FanDuel/DraftKings are analyst estimates, not audited filings.
Monthly Industry Reports
Bookie Hunt publishes a monthly industry report covering the latest US handle data, UK regulatory developments, prediction markets milestones, and operator news — with all figures sourced and date-verified.