Defining the region
North America is more amorphous than South America in terms of regional definition. Looking at a map, the isthmus of Panama is the thin strip that links the two land masses that make the continental mass of America. However, while South America is everything below Panama, the land above is usually classified as Central and North America.
In human geographical terms, North America sometimes just refers to the USA, Canada, Mexico and Greenland, and sometimes Cuba and Puerto Rico are thrown in. As gambling is illegal in Cuba, they do not count in terms of the North American market.
Keeping citizen safe
North American countries are seeing remarkable growth in iGaming as markets open up to legal, regulated operators. Even when prohibited, gambling still takes place but is a much riskier business for players. While the offshore operators could be reputable, there is still a chance that they are not.
What most Canadian provinces and US states have realized is that safe, legal markets not only protect citizens but also bring in much-needed revenues to government coffers. The growth in mobile igaming via online casino sites and apps has also brought many more players to the virtual casino doors.
The USA
Attitudes towards gambling and igaming have changed enormously in recent years. After the US Supreme Court ruled that a federal ban on sports betting was against the Constitution, most states now allow some form of gambling or another. While not all states allow for online gambling, a fair few do, and this is fuelling growth in the igaming industry.
In addition, casino gambling and slots are ever more popular, and states where online casinos are legal have seen incredible market growth. There are online casinos for residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, New Virginia, and Delaware. Illinois and Indiana are reported as ‘expected in 2024’, with Massachusetts expected within two years and North Carolina contemplating legalization.
Canada is similar but different
In Canada, each province sets its own gambling rules, and single-event sports betting is no longer illegal. Ontario became the first province to open a fully regulated legal gambling market to commercial operators in April 2022.
Gambling is widespread across the whole country, with 60% of Canadians claiming to have wagered for real money in the last month. The online slots are the perennial favorite, but live dealer games are increasingly popular. Canadians can enjoy the top roulette online, along with poker, blackjack, craps, and a whole host of other games.
Down Mexico way
Online gambling laws in Mexico are somewhat more complicated, with online licenses issued but only for foreign players. However, bookmakers from outside the country are not blocked from offering their services to Mexican players. Suffice to say igaming is popular in Mexico, and where there is a will, there is a way!
The facts and figures – the whole market
The online gambling market in North America is projected to be worth almost US$ 30 billion this year. It is anticipated that revenue will grow by 8.4% a year, making the market worth nearly US$45 billion by 2029. Unsurprisingly, the lion’s share of the revenue in 2024 was generated in the United States.
Across the region, around 20% of the population is active in the online gambling market, and the average revenue per user is just under US$300 per person. By 2029, it is estimated that there will be 142.6 million players.
Canada specific
Canada is an interesting subset of the market because while it has a much smaller population, they are serious about their gambling, and it is expected that user penetration this year will be at 69.4%. According to the online statistics site Statistica, by 2029, it is expected that there will be 33.9 million users in the country.
No wonder international operators and big-name online casino sites are rushing to become part of the Ontario market. In 2024, it is estimated that the online gambling market will reach US$4.19 billion, and that is forecast to continue growing by 6,39% a year.
This level of growth would result in an estimated market value of US$5.71bn by 2029. The figures show that more Canadians gamble than many other places in North America, but they do not seem to be such big spenders. The average revenue per user is US$154.40, or around half of the figures for the average player in the North American market.
Mexico significant
Mexico plays a smaller but significant role in the overall market, where revenue is expected to be around US$2.7 billion in 2024, with growth of around 7.5% annually. This means that by 2029, the Mexican online gambling market will generate around US$3.9 billion. Sports betting is popular in Mexico and is estimated to be worth US$1.24 billion this year.
The average spend in Mexico is higher than in Canada at US$331.60 per person, but user penetration is a tenth of its neighbor in the far north – only 6.3% of the population are online gamblers. However, as it has a much larger population than Canada, there is still a sizeable number of people engaged in online gambling, and it is estimated that there will be 11 million players by 2029.
USA is the big daddy
Whichever way you look at it, and despite all its restrictions and complicated relationship with gambling, the largest share of the revenue is generated from the United States. Playing a lottery game ranked as the type of gambling activity regular gamblers would most likely do in the next 30 days, while betting at a casino was the second most popular type of gambling, according to a poll in April 2021.
