People placing bets on sports has almost as long been around, as games itself. Although it is an industry which was legalized by many countries by now, there are still some places where it is prohibited. Take note that the fact that it is illegal in any country doesn’t mean that it is absent. In these countries sports betting only become a dark industry treated with utmost secrecy. Of those where it is a legal activity, there are many top performers when it comes to raking in the revenue earned from sports betting. Let’s explore which countries these are.
The United Kingdom
Sports betting was born in the UK; hence, it is no surprise that this is still a prevalent past time activity for people of all ages. Legal since 1961, but long before that, friendly bets were placed between friends and family, from young to old. Therefore, Britain is still considered as the country with the most significant number of players globally, which are underaged. Some of the latest statistics on revenue generated from Britain indicate an amount of over $20 billion for one year. This is achieved by the just over 65% of the population who are regularly placing their wagers on sport.
The United States
Since 1992 any sports betting activities in the US were considered illegal except for the state Nevada. The country managed to rake in at least $4.9 billion in the previous year through legal practices. In 2018, legislation changed for the US and slowly is changing their admissible allowances, and it is becoming a more and more accepted practice. This will hopefully also bring sports betting in the US from the shadows. Currently, most bets in games are placed on football and basketball.
Australia
The only restrictions in Australia regarding sports betting is that no advertisements on either radio or television are prohibited. Otherwise, it is entirely legal in Australia already since 1980. Annually more than $1 billion are wagered on sports. In recent years, the sports betting industry grew from 25% to 50% in the market share of the gambling industry in Australia.
Italy
After the UK, Italy is second in the line of size in the European sports betting industry. Even though the Italians do wage on sports like tennis and volleyball as well, football is by far the most significant contributor towards the more than €10 billion wagered annually in recent years.
Germany
Sports betting in Germany is not only legal but also very lucrative. It is also considered to be a prestigious and mighty industry. Therefore, they have a bustling betting market. In recent years they have delivered sums of more than €6 billion in money wagered, and that is continually growing. The German sports punters have a strong preference for horse racing and also football.
