The COVID 19 pandemic has been a long, slow-burning tragedy. More than 2 million people are dead and many more face economic problems as the world – particularly some of the most developed equalities – still struggles to come up with a lasting solution.
The gambling industry has suffered too, in part. Live sporting events have been cancelled around the world, casinos and other in-person venues have been closed.
But proving that it really is an ill wind that blows nobody any good one part of the industry has boomed: the online gambling market.
Players who would normally gamble in person – in casinos, bars, clubs, book-makers and so on – had no choice but to head to online casinos and online sportsbook sites. Those who were already interested in online gambling might well find themselves with more spare time on their hands and only the internet to entertain them.
BetWinner Report
More than half of the human race gambles each year, and BetWinner, has analysed the industry in 2020, and found that the Global Online Gambling Industry is one of the few businesses to expect to come out of the pandemic perhaps not just relatively unscathed, but possibly in even better health.
Their report of that name has just been released, analysing the industry in a number of frameworks.
This is a dynamic industry on its own terms: mergers and acquisitions are relatively commonplace; the regulatory picture is also fast-moving and has political and international dimensions (not least Brexit for UK players). Although there’s a huge number of companies now offering online casino services in the UK, BetWinner finds that there are still high barriers to entry into the online casino industry.
The report focuses on four major markets for special analysis: Europe, France, the UK, and North America.
It uses Porter’s Five Forces analysis, identifying those forces as: bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, competitive rivalry in the industry, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitutes.
There is no surprise that the first factor identified as affecting the industry in 2020 is the Covid-19 pandemic. The report goes on to look at forces within the industry, including changing regulation in Europe, France, the UK, and the USA.
Mobile gaming is rated against online gaming and also against traditional gaming.
UK gamblers will recognise most of the brands named as the “Major Industry Players”:
32Red Plc; 888 Holdings Plc; bet365; Betfair; Flutter Entertainment; GVC Holdings PLC (Ladbrokes Coral Group); International Game Technology PLC; Kindred Group Plc; La Francaise Des Jeux; Netplay TV Plc; Playtech Plc; Scientific Games Corporation; Sportingbet; William Hill Plc; Zynga Inc.
Some of these companies have an offline presence, but most are largely known these days as enormous casino and betting websites. Playtech are a slots and online gaming company, as are Scientific Games.
You can find out more at the BetWinner website. 2021 is sure to be just as dynamic a year for the online gambling industry, not least in the UK where regulatory reform is promised. You can read BetWinner’s projections in their report.
