Before the arrival of online casinos, people had limited options when it comes down to gambling. Since users had to visit land-based casinos, there were many instances where they had to travel a lot to get there. Although most brick-and-mortar casinos are fun, clients must spend a considerable amount if they wish to have fun because they may need a place to stay and something to eat.
Many high rollers continue to rely on the “real” casinos, but their online counterparts are becoming much more popular. These sites are easily accessible and allow people worldwide to experience different kinds of casino games.
Speaking of gamblers from different parts of the world, players have different gambling cultures depending on where they live. This is an interesting topic that we want to dive deep into, so here’s what you need to know.
North America
Starting with North America, this is one of the continents with millions of active gamblers. It is safe to say that NA is among the most exciting regions because of the fact that it thas long traditions.
Starting with indigenous people, gambling has had a role in their culture. The tribes in America were interested in games like dice and lacrosse, and some continue to play these games even today.
Needless to say, things changed after the Europeans arrived. There were loads of new gambling activities, such as cards, lotteries, and more.
What’s interesting about North America today is that every country has different laws. If we take a look at the USA, for example, we can see that this country has the world’s biggest iGaming market. There were important legal changes a couple of years ago that opened the doors for states to decide whether to allow gambling.
Nowadays, players can experience several casinos and sites for sports betting in most states. Of course, we also need to mention Las Vegas, the city in Nevada that is extremely popular among gamblers.
Besides the USA, people from all other countries on the continent are also interested in gambling. However, the laws vary drastically, depending on the jurisdictions. Some are open and allow all sorts of options whereas others are more restrictive.
South America
The situation in South America is similar to that in North America. The indigenous traditions are also mixed with the colonial influences, resulting in various gambling options. Considering South America’s size, it’s no surprise that every country is different. People interested in visiting some of the best casinos on the continent should go to places like Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. These are also the places where you can try numerous gambling websites, some of which are also available in other parts of the world.
Of course, not all South American countries are like that. Certain places, like Ecuador, have had strict restrictions on gambling in place since 2011. Locals have the chance to use different gambling sites, but it’s much harder for them to enjoy betting on different things.
Besides indigenous people and Europeans, religion also has an impact on the gambling situation in South America. Many countries on this continent are very religious, which might be one of the reasons why not everyone is keen on gambling.
Europe
It’s no surprise that gambling has a rich history in Europe that dates to Ancient Greece. This hobby has always been popular on the continent, including during the Middle Ages. This was where many Europeans played a variety of card and dice games and even took part in different lotteries. However, things slowly started to change when religious authorities began to talk against gambling.
In today’s world, every country in Europe has different gambling laws. Some, such as the UK, are home to many bookmakers and casinos. Igaming is huge there, which explains why most stats confirm the UK market is the 2nd-biggest in the world.
With that said, the situation is different in other places. Kosovo is one such example because the authorities decided to ban this activity so that there are no crimes related to it.
Although the gambling laws in some countries are strict, there is no arguing that most governments have made significant progress in allowing iGaming. Some even had to take a step back because of the high number of people with problems with gambling. Bulgaria is a really good example here because the country recently banned most forms of gambling ads.
Africa
Most people who hear the word “Africa” don’t associate this place with gambling. It’s true that iGaming and land-based wagering are not allowed in most parts of the continent, but there are exceptions to this rule.
Gambling is very popular in places like Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. The latter is probably the best example because it is home to all sorts of different iGaming sites and land-based operators. Many of them come from the UK, but there are local companies as well.
Gambling history in Africa is very similar to that in North and South America. Some people here were involved in different gambling activities before the arrival of the European nations. Once that happened, gambling became even more popular.
With that said, most countries here have not changed their gambling laws yet and do not allow it. This is especially true for the northern part of the continent, where almost all countries are Muslim.
Asia
Since Asia is the world’s biggest continent, it’s also incredibly diverse when it comes down to gambling. To be honest, we should probably split it into several parts and analyze them one by one, but we realize this will take too much time.
Some Asian countries have never been pro-gambling, and this has not changed even today. The Middle East is a really good example because gambling is almost nowhere to be found. The same is true for some of the Central Asian republics.
On the other hand, we have places like India, where the laws change constantly. Currently, India has to be one of the hottest markets for sports betting and online casinos, resulting in many different websites.
In terms of land-based gambling, Macao has to be the most popular place in Asia. It’s home to tons of world-class casinos, which is the reason why people consider it to be the Asian version of Las Vegas.
Australia
Lastly, we have Australia, the country/continent where gambling is heavily regulated. The history of gambling here is almost the same as in North and South America. It involves indigenous people and Europeans.
Nowadays, gambling laws do not allow the promotion of gambling. Nevertheless, there is a special licensing regime for things like sports betting, EGMs, land-based casinos, and lotteries.
Conclusion
Countries in Europe and North/South America have gambling laws that are very similar to those in Asia or Africa. Nevertheless, each state has different laws, so it’s important to learn more about them before playing. Gambling has been a part of most places’ history at some point, and thanks to iGaming sites, players from all parts of the world can play together.
