How Online Casinos Differ Around The World: Facts Every Player Should Know

Online casinos look very different depending on where you sit. Regulation, market scale, enforcement tactics, and product mixes vary. Those differences shape what games you can play, how fast you get paid, and how much legal protection you have. Here are the hard specifics for the markets that matter most.

Japan

The online gambling sector is flourishing, with the legal Japanese market generating $8.1 billion in revenue in 2024. This robust foundation, combined with digital transformation and changing societal norms, makes the online casino market a prime landscape for the growth in Japan. On such sites, you can play classic games like Sic Bo and Mahjong.

The total gambling market was worth approximately $24 billion in 2024, demonstrating the massive potential for any new, legally sanctioned verticals like online casinos.

Although the country is known for some of the strictest laws against gambling, it’s thought that more than three million people in Japan play real-money casinos online. These are often sites that are based outside of Japan.

United States

The US online gambling market is on a steep upward trajectory, generating $5.97 billion in 2025. Sports betting is still the biggest element of the business, making up about 49% of online income in 2024. However, online casino gaming is growing even faster, with a projected 13.66% CAGR through 2030, especially in live dealer formats and AI-driven customization.

Legalization on a state-by-state basis is still the main driver of growth. There are presently 39 places where sports betting is legal and 7 states where full-scale iGaming is legal. Mobile usage is another important reason. More over 81% of all online gambling transactions in 2024 were done on mobile devices, and that number keeps going up as more people get smartphones.

Ontario, Canada

Ontario’s open-license model generated a gross income of CA$3.20 billion (US$2.3 billion) in 2024–25, a 32% rise from the previous year. This was the highest total since the market opened in April 2022. That’s more than double the CA$1.40 billion it made in its first year and up from CA$2.4 billion the year before.

The activity of players is equally as astonishing. In 2024–25, Ontarians bet a record CA$82.7 billion, which was 31% more than the year before. There are 49 licensed operators running 84 websites, so gamers can choose from a combination of worldwide and local brands. This makes the competition very tough, which leads to quick product launches, intense marketing campaigns, and a steady stream of acquisition-focused discounts.

United Kingdom

The UK online gambling sector made $7.37 billion in 2024. Regulators like the UK Gambling Commission publish frequent industry statistics and enforce tight rules about money laundering, affordability, and technical standards. These restrictions cover everything from advertising to game fairness.

Regular audits and consumer protection procedures must be followed by licensed operators. The UK is still the best place to go if you want transparency (public RTPs, strong self-exclusion mechanisms).

Australia

In 2024, the Australian market was worth $5.2 billion. This growth is being caused by many factors, including the fast adoption of new technologies, shifting customer tastes, and operators’ aggressive marketing and product diversification.

The rules and regulations have played a big role in creating this path. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 made it possible for legal online betting sites to exist. It also made sure that licensed operators could grow while following the law. The result is a market defined by both growth and guardrails. Most notably, it’s different from many APAC countries, where regulation is either weak or not there at all.

Offshore Markets

Offshore operators still control a huge chunk of the online gambling sector. In fact, 74% of US online gambling GGR in 2024 went to operators that weren’t regulated. This dominance is due to ease of use, a bigger range of products, and the prospect of doing business in places with little or no regulation.

A lot of these offshore casinos get their licenses in places like Curaçao, Malta, and the Isle of Man. That’s not to say acquiring these licenses is easy. Reforms ensure that even old safe havens are being looked at more closely.

Crypto usage is one thing that helps offshore sites stay competitive. Transactions are faster, players are more anonymous, and there are fewer payment limits than on licensed US sites. This is particularly appealing to tech-savvy players.