Which Country Gambles The Most? What's The Biggest Gambling Nation?

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Here’s an interesting question for you (well, we thought it was interesting anyway!).

If you think about all of the nations in the world, which country gambles the most? Which nation likes spinning the reels/dealing the cards/watching the roulette wheel go around?

Well, first off, let’s just clarify that we mean on average, so taking population size out of the equation. The result might surprise you!

If you reckon you know who the world’s biggest gamblers are, read on – as you may have to eat your words

Surely it’s the Americans right, with Las Vegas, Atlantic City and the Indian reservations all over the place? And the Brits must be up there, right? What with the Grand National, and all the bets that go on the football every week.

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Well, if you look at overall losses as a proportion to population size, the US and Britain are way down the list behind the really serious high rollers in Australia and Hong Kong, but they also fall well behind the Scandinavians in Norway and Finland. Macau and Monaco, don’t even make the top 10. Asia is topped by betting mad Singapore which has the amazing Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa (these 2 casinos alone nearly out gross the entire Las Vegas Strip).

Countries With the Biggest Gambling Losses. The Detail
These rankings take into account average gaming losses per year divided by the adult population. Specifically, money lost on all types of betting including the horses, slots and pokies, lotteries and casinos during 2010.

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1. G’Day Australia. Pokies Pokies and Pokies
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $1,200

Aussies love a flutter. And a bet. And a hedge. The government Down Under allows online betting on sports but prevents gamblers from using the internet to bet live in play. That could be about to change, however. Aussie Online Casinos are big news: slots, or pokies as they are known here, are the nation’s favourite.

2. Singapore
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $1,100

Singapore opened The Marina Bay Sands not that long ago. It’s now the world’s 3rd biggest casino town after Macau and Las Vegas. It will probably overtake Las Vegas pretty soon.

3. Ireland
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $600

Well, if you had the luck of the Irish, you’d play, right?

Ireland’s casino industry is unregulated. We expect that to change pretty quickly.

4. Canada
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $550

Over three quarters of Canadian adults gamble over the course of a year. Yes, that’s tight: three quarters. They are mad for Maple Syrup and Betting.

5. Finland
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $550

Over 40% of adult Finns gamble every week. What else is there to do when you’re snowed in mid January? We can think of a couple of things…..

6. Italy
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $500

Slots are big in Italy and make around 50% of total gaming revenues. Mamma mia!

7. Hong Kong
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $500

Casinos are illegal in Hong Kong, but Macau is just an hour’s jet-foil ride away. If you have ever been to the horse races in Hong Kong, you’ll understand why they make this list.

8. Norway
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $450

Another Scandinavian country makes the list: the Norwegians love playing Lotto, scratch cards, the slots and they also love betting on the footie.

The state-owned gaming company, Norsk Tipping generates over $2.1 billion a year. So that’s where all that North Sea Oil money goes.

9. Greece
Gaming Losses Per Adult: circa $400

While, they love a gamble with the EU, but they also love a flutter. Probably the world’s most famous gambler of all time, “Nick the Greek” Dandolos came from this part of the world. He was reckoned to have won (and lot) around half a billion dollars over the course of his lifetime.

10. Spain. Locos for El Gordo.
Gaming Losses Per Adult:circa $400

Spaniards love betting on everything from football to cards to the lottery to the kitchen sink.

The famous Christmas lottery called “El Gordo”, or the Fat One, is the only lottery draw on the planet to distribute more than $1 billion in prizes.

So, how about Blighty and the Yoo Ess of Ay? Where do they come in?

Well, they don’t make the top 10, but they are pretty close:

11. Sweden
Gambling Losses Per Adult:circa $390

12. Denmark
Losses Per Adult:circa $390

13. United States
Losses Per Adult:circa $380
(Multipy this by the population size though and you can see how massive the US market is)

14. Britain
Gaming Losses Per Adult:circa $380

14. Japan
Gaming Losses Per Adult:circa $380

Source: H2 Gambling Capital

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