The online sports betting sphere has developed exponentially over the past two decades, with more gamblers than ever before turning to sportsbooks to get their gambling fix.
In essence, few betting markets are as unpredictable and relatable as sports betting, with the human side of global sport often playing a huge factor in the outcome of a particular bet. In the USA, there are 17 states where online sports betting is legal with Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts are joining in 2023. The industry is a good revenue maker for the states, especially in New York where NY sports betting sites paying 51% in tax.
Furthermore, affiliation towards a particular sports team or person can also fuel the sports betting market surrounding them and consequently, sports betting has never been bigger or better for all levels of punter.
Traditional sports such as football and horse racing continue to dominate the sports betting market but the emergence of new betting trends such as esports gambling, has enabled the industry to diversify and grow even further.
Such popularity and growth within the sports betting sector, led to many question marks being raised about the sustainability of traditional casino games, which had enjoyed such a boom in the early 2010s.
Not having to leave the comfort of the home to access slots, roulette, poker and thousands more casino games, was highly influential in the growth of many online bookmakers and the rewards are still being felt by many within the industry.
Development and evolution however is part of every business industry and with sportsbooks now having such a hold on the market, would there be a place for casino games in what is fast becoming a congested marketplace?
As of 2022, it is predicted that of the 1.6 billion people worldwide that profess to gamble, over 50% are still operating regularly in the online casino sphere.
Poker remains an integral part of the online betting world, with every sportsbook worth their salt having a fully-functioning poker operation and the P2P nature of the game makes it hugely popular for punters.
Whilst poker will seemingly always have a hold within the market, table games such as roulette and blackjack are also showing no sign of waning for punters.
In excess of 500 million people across the world bet on roulette and blackjack regularly within online sportsbooks and whilst competing for custom is perhaps tougher than it used to be, they are holding up their side of the bargain.
The one online casino game that has seen a downward trend in recent times is slot games, with many punters turning to in-play sports betting for the quick fix, high turnover betting option but slot games still have a place in the market – especially for higher earners.
Evolution has also taken place within the online casino game industry too, with bingo one of the latest games to take off in the UK and beyond and whilst sports betting is enjoying the limelight, online casino games continue to more than hold their own.
