Gambling is one of the most popular ways to pass the time, which additionally allows for increasing your income in the case of luck. People across the globe practice various gambling options and enjoy an incomparable feeling, which makes the blood boil.
Since ancient times, people have practiced various gambling games. While the issue has always been controversial, authorities tried to ban gambling in all its forms many times throughout history. However, it still survived and evolved, expanding to the Internet space. As a result, governmental bodies of many countries had to change their mind concerning gambling. They decided to take the area under control and take the most benefit from it. Let’s consider the attitude towards gambling in various countries and find out which ones have recently made it legal.
The Popularity of Gambling in Various Countries
The number of gambling people keeps growing every year. Another contribution to the development of the industry was made by Covid-19. It made thousands of people stay at home, while they found a new way to entertain themselves and earn money. Many users started practicing Internet gambling.
However, online options are only a part of the industry. The whole market includes both Internet and land-based venues. The only thing is just that online platforms are more accessible and comfortable to use for punters from various parts of the world.
Speaking about the popularity of gambling, we can enumerate several countries, the residents of which gamble the most:
| Country | Information concerning gambling |
|---|---|
| Australia | It takes the first place on the list. Even though Internet gambling isn’t allowed (except for sports betting), land-based venues can legally operate on the territory. There Are dozens of facilities, which are situated in luxurious areas of the country. The industry is regulated by federal and local governments. In addition, many international operators outside Australia accept Aussie punters. And they take benefits from them to enjoy their favorite options online. |
| Singapore | It’s another largest hub of gambling. The first gaming facilities were opened in 2010. However, the government worries about people due to the growing rate of addictions. Thus, people who want to visit a gaming venue should pay a certain fee. And still, the number of people interested in gambling keeps growing. |
| Ireland | The industry can’t be clearly regulated in the country due to the fact there’s just one law issued in 1956. It has certain regulations but it mentions the limits in shillings and pence, which are not in use here anymore. People of Ireland spend huge sums on various gamble games, which makes the authorities think of the creation of strong regulations. |
| Canada | Almost 80% of all residents of the country gamble. Punters in Canada spend hundreds of dollars each on average on their favorite games. The most popular one is the lottery. Huge losses even made the authorities forbid granting lottery tickets as gifts to people under age. |
| Finland | The statistics show that about 40% of people here practice gambling. Due to addiction, which became a problem, the authorities made gamble games illegal for punters under 18. Before that, people can start gambling at the age of 15. The country has a national lottery, which is supported by the Ministry of Education. Besides, there’s a local Internet platform. |
Gambling is a popular issue in many other countries, including the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, China, Japan, etc.
Reasons for Legalization
Today, more countries tend to take the industry under control. It makes them think about the development of the corresponding laws concerning gambling. Practice shows that even when the area is absolutely banned, people still gamble underground, which actually leads to greater trouble. Thus, the legalization of gambling is a more reasonable solution. There’re a few motives for the authorities to make the industry legal:
- It will help eliminate underground gambling. Such practices lead to terrible consequences. People lose their funds, homes, and even lives sometimes. The control of the government is able to prevent such horrible situations.
- It will bring social benefits. Many gambling options involve more than one person. Thus, it might be a good basis for communication and team recreation.
- It has economic benefits. When the industry is legal, it should pay official taxes, which might be fixed or depend on the income of a certain gaming facility. As a result, the state budget can become higher and then used for improvement in various areas of life.
- It creates more jobs. Being legal, gaming facilities can officially hire people and pay them for their work. Thus, the unemployment rate will decrease.
Where is it Legal?
In 2022, gambling and iGaming became more accessible. There Are many online casinos in Australia, the USA, Greece, and other countries, which allow punters to gamble via the Internet. Let’s observe the countries in various parts of the world, which recently legalized the industry:
1. European region.
Punters from almost every country in Europe have access to gaming facilities. Speaking about legalized Internet gambling, the following countries should be mentioned:
- Austria
- Germany
- Finland
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Estonia.
They have official regulations and allow only gaming facilities, which are licensed. The majority of states, which have recently legalized iGaming, require obtaining a UKGC operating permit to offer the services to the residents.
2. Asian region.
There’re many countries where gambling and iGaming are legal. However, there’re also those, which allow offering such services only to tourists. By now, Japan is working under more adaptive regulations to allow more gaming facilities to be established. There’re still some countries with outdated views, where the industry is unlikely to become welcome anytime soon.
3. The USA.
Today, the policy concerning gambling becomes milder in many states. Some of them allow only certain types of betting (such as betting on horseracing). At the same time, there’re states, where many kinds of gambling can be legally practiced:
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia.
4. Australia.
The government allowed various forms of land-based gambling several years ago. However, the situation with Internet gambling is more complicated. It’s still forbidden in accordance with a special act. At the same time, operators can obtain a license and offer online services to punters outside Australia. Besides, there’re many platforms based outside the country, which welcome Aussies and provide access to their favorite games.
Conclusion
The world is changing together with an attitude towards gambling. The legalization of gambling grants many advantages to both governments and punters. Thus, we can hope that more countries will soon make the issue legal and take it under control to offer high-quality services and provide advanced security.
