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Gambling providers dominating the European market

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Online gamblers in countries across Europe are benefitting from a revolution in gaming. Internet-based casinos are booming right across the continent.

The latest figures show that the remote gaming business has grown by a fifth in Europe in the last year. Despite all the difficulties of the last few years there seems to be an unstoppable upsurge in the online casino industry.

In contrast, the turnover of Europe’s land-based gambling has been static over the same period. It means that roughly fourth fifths of European gambling now takes place online – rather than at traditional face-to-face casinos.

This growth in digital gaming has been driven by many factors including:

  • Europe has seen a huge increase in the use of mobile devices and apps across all countries and age groups.
  • At the same time there has been a big jump in the number of online casinos and in the number and sophistication of the games they offer.
  • As demand among players has grown, the flourish industry has been helped by the gradual liberalisation of rules about gambling across the continent. The recent opening up of restrictions in the large Netherlands market is yet another step in the growth pattern across Europe.

The rise of digital gambling

Online gambling industry experts have noted that the soaring profitability of remote gaming has led to the industry being dominated by a group of large gambling providers. In many markets, these big internet casino operators are now dominating the market.

The establishment of an online casino to compete at today’s level of sophistication requires significant investment and business intelligence. It means established operators are more likely to succeed in the very competitive gaming market.

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While digital versions of traditional games like roulette, blackjack and poker are thriving, the most popular form of online casino game are slot games. The success of online slots has allowed the development of providers who offer solely slot games to their players. There are now a range of successful online slot providers who have a portfolio of hundreds of themed slot games.

Another popular gambling activity in Europe is sports betting. The latest figures show that online betting across the UK and the rest of the continent is now worth around 15 billion Euros a year.

And the statistics also show that European players are using their phones to gamble more than ever. In the last year the proportion of online bets from mobile phones and tables has overtaken the proportion placed on desktop devices for the first time.

Online gambling affecting European countries

The online gaming boom has affected different countries in various ways. The traditionally large gambling countries, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have been slower to embrace the online industry, perhaps because the land-based gambling infrastructure is so already strong.

Online regulations also tend to be more restrictive in the traditional gaming markets. France has strict rules against online casinos and only 16% of betting is done remotely, using internet sites that are based offshore.

Cyprus is similarly restrictive about any locally based online casinos. Only around a quarter of Cypriot gambling takes place online, using offshore operators.

In contrast, Europe’s newer gaming markets have taken to online playing with much more enthusiasm. A higher proportion of Swedish gamblers are now playing online than any other European country.

The most recent figures show, for example, that more than two-thirds of bets in Sweden are being placed online. That makes the country Europe’s most online-gambling friendly, but other European countries taking most readily to online gaming include Denmark, UK, Finland and Romania.

Leading gambling operators in Europe

Of course, such a new and fast-moving industry can be volatile with sites coming and going frequently – but it does seem there are a group of leading casino operators consistently at the heart of the online marketplace. They usually have a wide range of offerings and use some of the leading technologies to attract players.

These top gaming companies may have very different backgrounds. For example, two opposite ends of the scale might be:

* Romanian-based Superbet, founded in 2008, has twice won the title of The Best Sports Betting Operator in Central and Southern Europe.

* Meanwhile the Stars Group based in London is behind online brands like PokerStars, BetStars and FullTilt. It is part of the giant Flutter Entertainment group.

Another large gambling establishment popular in Europe are 888. A brand who represents a range of gambling sites from casino, poker and sport.

So, for players it can be hard negotiating through the hundreds of different games, sites and operators. That’s why an affiliate site like Gambling.com can help guide players to the best and most reputable sites.

An online gamer may suddenly feel like playing slots, for example. Using Gambling.com an online gamer can find which operators offer currently the best slot games – and which are now offering the most attractive special promotions.

Gambling.com provided up-to-date information and analysis across nine of the top European countries and operates in four different languages. It uses teams of gambling experts based in the UK, Malta, Ireland and the USA.

It’s an important way for online players to find unbiased reviews and safety information about casinos and games. Affiliate sites will also provide the latest industry news, including updates about changes to laws and regulations.

New gamers need the back-up structure that sites like gambling.com can provide. Even experienced gamers can appreciate the up-to-date information and advice.

Industry experts believe that it’s intelligent user-friendly sites like this that ensure the future of online gambling is certain to continue to grow.

The potential client base is enormous, and the casino sites and games continue to be improved. Intelligent user-friendly critical advice about the online casinos will only help this rapid growth continue.

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EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter.

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