The European I-Gaming Conference in Nice recently provided the opportunity for a business report on the online casino industry. Delivered by Simon Holliday, a partner in the firm of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, the presentation clearly laid out the state of online casinos today. It should come as no surprise that the largest market in the online casino industry is located in the United States; however, this will not be the case for long.
Current statistics show that 48 percent of online gambling is situated in North America and only 28 percent in Europe. However, with the growth of the industry, North America's percentage is expected to decline, while Europe's will increase. Although Europe's percentage is not expected to overtake North America's in the next five years, it is a trend that cannot be ignored by operators of online casinos. But it is in Asia that Holliday sees real growth potential: currently only 17 percent of the business of online casinos, it is expected to grow to at least 25 percent by the year 2010.
The presentation also touched on other aspects of the online casino industry, comparing online betting at casinos and poker houses, among other Internet destinations. Holliday even listed the year's top performers in both online casinos and software companies, and he also predicted that by 2020 all the big players will have an online casino or internet component to their businesses. Apparently the online casino industry is healthy and thriving and will continue to provide business opportunities for many years to come!
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