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Digital sales channels have helped global gambling to be resilient to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic, when venues such as casinos and betting shops were closed for long periods in many jurisdictions.

Prior to the pandemic, e-gaming accounted for 12%-13% of global gambling revenues. E-gaming’s market share leapt to 19% in 2020 and provisional figures compiled by Global Betting and Gaming Consultants suggest it surpassed 21% in 2021.

There are several factors behind the increased share. Online poker was certainly helped by the lockdowns in 2020. The poker boost was temporary in many markets, with revenues falling back again when lockdowns ended in Q3 2020.

In the US, the on-going process of sports betting regulation since 2018 was well-timed to help some states have internet betting available.

Across betting markets, there was some measure of pent-up demand when sports resumed in Q3 2020 and postponed tournaments were held in 2021.

In many cases, national and state lotteries were able to continue holding draws, even though retail outlets were closed, which gave a boost to lotteries’ digital sales.

The growth in e-gaming continued into 2021, when many countries had further lockdowns and restrictions on retail activities. Some regulators did seek to curb demand for e-gaming by imposing deposit limits and advertising restrictions.

A bar graph showing the increase in global internet gambling revenues by sector between 2020 and 2021.

Visitor numbers to some of the world’s important gambling jurisdictions have been slow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lockdowns, venue closures and travel restrictions have been in place at various points since Q1 2020 and they have had a severe impact on visitor numbers to places like Macau, Las Vegas and Singapore.

Las Vegas has had the strongest recovery but visitor numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels. In Asia, casino markets are still recording visitor levels 80% below pre-pandemic levels, even in Q1 2022.

Of the all the different gambling sectors, the world’s casinos were the worst hit by the pandemic in 2020, according to research by Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) for its Global Gambling Report.

Casinos’ market share (including US Tribal gaming) fell from 37% prior to the pandemic to 30% in 2020.

Betting and lotteries benefited from casino gaming’s loss. Betting’s share of global gambling revenues rose from 15% to 19%, whilst state lotteries’ share increased to 34% (from 29%).

But the increasing shares were of a smaller overall market because in 2020 global gambling suffered its worst drop in revenues since GBGC began compiling its gambling data. Global gambling revenues fell from US$ 458 billion in 2019 to US$ 364 billion in 2020.

The Global Gambling Report published covers almost 300 individual gambling jurisdictions around the world, with more than 4,000 pages of data, news and analysis about the global gambling market.

More details about the purchase options can be found here: https://www.gbgc.com/reports/

The global gambling sector began its recovery in 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic which caused it to lose almost US$ 100 billion in 2020.

In 2020, global gambling suffered its worst drop in revenues since Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) began compiling its gambling data.

Global gambling revenues fell from US$ 458 billion in 2019 to US$ 364 billion in 2020 but rose back above US$ 400 billion in 2021 to US$ 410 billion, an increase of 13%.

The lockdown of society in many countries did give a boost to digital sales channels and gambling has benefited from this behavioural shift.

Prior to the pandemic, e-gaming accounted for 12%-13% of global gambling revenues. E-gaming’s market share leapt to 19% in 2020 and provisional figures compiled by Global Betting and Gaming Consultants suggest it surpassed 21% in 2021.

The 17th edition of GBGC’s market-leading Global Gambling Report is available now: https://www.gbgc.com/reports/

The seventeenth edition of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants’ comprehensive Global Gambling Report – Change is on the cards is available now.

The new edition of the Global Gambling Report details the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global gambling, with a full global data appendix for 2020. The report also documents how the gambling sector is seeking to recover, reinvigorate and reinvent itself in the aftermath of global lockdowns and travel restrictions.

The Global Gambling Report published covers almost 300 individual gambling jurisdictions around the world, with more than 4,000 pages of data, news and analysis about the global gambling market.

More details about the purchase options can be found here: https://www.gbgc.com/reports/

Regulus Partners, a global strategic advisory business focussed on the sports and leisure sector, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Global Betting & Gaming Consultants (“GBGC”).

The acquisition will see GBGC’s global betting and gaming data and reports move under the Regulus umbrella, complementing the company’s existing offering to provide the industry standard for accurate and reliable global gambling data and market analysis.

Following the acquisition, GBGC’s dedicated research team in Isle of Man and Croatia will join the Regulus team to continue to build a leading data product. The Acquisition will see Regulus’ advisory and analysis capability combine with GBGC’s data portal and research team to develop industry leading global data and analysis products. Warwick Bartlett, who founded GBGC in 2001, will continue as a non-executive Director.

Paul Leyland, co-founder of Regulus said:

The GBGC database and team are a great fit for Regulus because they have always been as accurate and thorough as possible in an often opaque and uncertain environment. We intend to invest further in the team’s proven capabilities to ensure that we develop a market leading product. Given the increasing scale and complexity of the industry, there has never been a greater need for high quality data and we are delighted to welcome such a high quality team to the Regulus family.

Warwick Bartlett, founder of GBGC said:

Regulus is a good fit for GBGC because we both complement each other in so many ways. The combined business will be able to offer the gambling industry and its stakeholders an unapparelled service. The clients of both our businesses will benefit tremendously from the additional services that will assist them in the management and expansion of their businesses.

The 2021/22 EPL season is entering its final matches and the results profile is returning to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, when fans were excluded from stadia.

43% of matches have been home wins, still slightly below the average of 46% for the three seasons prior to the pandemic, but higher than the 38% in the 2020/21 season.

Away wins account for 34% of results, lower than the 40% of last season.

The UK government has said that football ‘ran out of time’ to get itself in order and will, therefore, impose an independent regulator on the sport.

The government claims that ‘good governance of our [football] clubs has not kept pace with this expansion and development [of the Premier League]’.

The independent football regulator will ‘usher in a new era of financial competency and sustainability for our clubs’.

An integrity test will be imposed alongside new owner and director tests, with the aim of ensuring that only good custodians and qualified directors can take charge of football clubs.

A ‘golden share’ for fans will give them a say on alterations to a club’s stadium, logo, name and even kit.

Involvement in potential sponsors is not specifically mentioned, but it could easily come under the umbrella of changes to a club’s stadium (naming rights, advertising hoardings?) and kit design.

Norwich City ended a new deal after only a few days in 2021 with betting company BK8 because of criticism from supporters about some of BK8’s social media marketing.

Elsewhere, Plymouth Argyle owner Simon Hallett has said the club will not have a betting company as its next shirt sponsor.

“It will not be the case at Argyle. We have been very clear that we want sponsors whose activities are aligned with our values. Having said that, Argyle benefits from betting via monies that we get from the [Sky Bet] sponsorship of the English Football League so it’s a difficult one.”

Camelot has begun legal action against the UK Gambling Commission, following the announcement of the preferred bidder for the new National Lottery licence.

GBGC reported in March 2022 that Allwyn Entertainment had been named by the UK Gambling Commission as the preferred applicant for the fourth National Lottery licence, when the current licence expires in 2024. Camelot has been the licence holder since 1994.

Camelot’s CEO responded to the decision by saying the Gambling Commission has ‘got this decision badly wrong’.

His statement continued:

“When we received the result, we were shocked by aspects of the decision.

Despite lengthy correspondence, the Commission has failed to provide a satisfactory response. We are therefore left with no choice but to ask the court to establish what happened.”

Sisal, another bidder, is reportedly considering joining Camelot’s challenge, whilst Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell (owner of the Health Lottery) has launched separate proceedings.

Allwyn Entertainment has been named by the UK Gambling Commission as the preferred applicant for the fourth National Lottery licence, when the current licence expires in 2024. It will mean a new operator for the UK lottery for the first time since its launch in 1994.

Camelot has been the licence holder since 1994. During the third licence period it was criticised when profits rose faster than returns to good causes, although profits only amount to 1% of sales. Money for good causes equates to 23% of sales.

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused lottery players to switch to digital sales channels, which accounted for 42% of sales in 2020/21, up from 31% in the previous year.

In turn, this sales boost to digital channels helped reduce unclaimed prizes. The total amount of unclaimed prizes was GB£ 100 million in 2020/21, the lowest amount for a decade.

As a percentage of prizes available, unclaimed winnings represented 2.1%, which is the smallest share for more than 20 years.

Allwyn’s bid was reportedly centred on increasing returns to good causes, reinvigorating the draw games, responsible gambling and investment in technology.

*In 28 years, Camelot says the lottery has raised GB£ 45 billion for good causes.
*It is reported that Allwyn aims for more than GB£ 30 billion in its 10-year licence.
*Draw games currently account for 56% of sales.
*In 2012/13 it was 70% and in 1999/00 it was 89%.

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