Gambling Grows 12.5% In 2010

Reports from the gaming-monitoring organisation H2 Gambling Capitol indicate that over the whole of 2010 the gambling sector experienced a 12.5% growth on gross winnings. 

The figures show that over the year there was a £18.8bn increase in the money paid out. Some of this has been attributed to major sporting events as the football World Cup and the Commonwealth Games but there has also been a phenomenal increase in the number of people playing at online casinos, bingo and on slot machines. 

Bingo is an area that has grown particularly well throughout the year with figures showing £1.7bn being generated by this sector in 2010, an increase of 28.4%. Online casinos also saw a rise in their figures as they paid out £4bn over the year, an overall increase of 13.3%. 

Online poker is an area that still continues to grow and with the increasing popularity in the game this should continue into 2010. The poker industry saw a 7.1% growth of 3.72bn with contributions coming from the recently deregulated Italian and French markets. 

Sports betting online is still the largest gambling contributor, experiencing a 10.2% increase and generating £7.8bn. The main area here was within football betting aided by the World Cup but also with interest from the major football leagues. 

The industry online is expected to continue to see growth during 2011 and with new markets expected to be opened up in Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Spain, which will somewhat replace the problems and confusion that continues to plague the US market.