What The U.S. Can Learn From the U.K. And Europe In Developing iGaming Markets

Worldwide, the gambling markets are enjoying ever-increasing popularity. A large proportion of experts already believe that online offerings based around poker, roulette and slot machines will soon surpass conventional casino visits in terms of revenue. The figures are already clearly pointing in this direction.

Especially online casinos with instant payout are highly favored by users. It is thus worth taking a closer look at reviews for instant withdrawal casinos when it comes to choosing the right online casino. However, there is virtually no unity in the world regarding the regulation of online gambling providers. This is especially true of the relationship between the US and Europe. Here, there are extremely clear differences in the handling of regulation and legislation.

The Colorful Diversity Of The Legal Situation In The Different Nations

Even within Europe, it is very clear that there are no uniform regulatory mechanisms. Basically, different regulations apply from country to country. For example, the laws in countries such as Great Britain, Malta or Ukraine are quite favorable for gambling providers on the Internet. In France, on the other hand, the situation is quite different.

The situation in Germany finally looks a bit rosier for the first time since the ninth State Treaty on Gambling came into force in July 2021. Until then, gambling in Germany was considered illegal. The exception at the time was Schleswig-Holstein. This was the only federal state that took a special path and declared gambling legal. Thus, there are significantly more gambling providers in the UK and Malta in particular. These two share most of the pie in terms of revenue from online gambling.

Gamblers Are Less Affected

However, this colorful diversity has an insignificant effect on the user, this is especially true if the user lives in an EU country. Here, the Equality Act ensures that all EU citizens are allowed to use any offer, even with regards to gambling. This means, for example, that a German player can create an account with a provider from Malta without any problems. Punitive measures of any kind are not to be feared here. Although the providers from Malta do not officially have a gambling license from Germany, the Equality Act comes into force here immediately.

It must be said, however, that the situation for the providers can thus be considered positive. In contrast to America, this is precisely what led to the fact that online gambling has been able to develop very positively in Europe in recent years.

A Lot Of Catching Up To Do In The US Gambling Markets

In some ways, the situation in the USA is quite similar to that in Europe. However – as I said – only quite similar, which is also the reason why the USA could learn a lot from the development of iGaming markets from the UK and Europe, because here the markets have definitely been able to develop less well than is the case in the UK and Europe.

This is mainly due to the so-called Black Friday. This happened on April 15, 2011. That was exactly the day when the three largest gambling providers on the Internet in the USA were eliminated by court virtually overnight. As a result, online gambling was strictly prohibited in the USA for many years. This only changed again in 2018, when a new law was passed. According to this law, the responsibility for the legal framework of online gambling was now handed over to the states.

Thanks to this decision, online gambling in the USA became accessible again. At the same time, however, a strong fragmentation of the markets was feared. Because of the newly enacted law, each state could now decide for itself whether and in what form it would allow online gambling, or not. Moreover, these regulations do not only affect gambling itself. Sports betting is also equally affected.

Above all, the state of New Jersey is responsible for this situation, because it is precisely this state that has stepped up its efforts to re-legalize gambling on the Internet. The government had already held a referendum among the population in 2011. Here, the citizens of the state had voted in favor of legalizing gambling and sports betting on the Internet. It would then take another 7 years before New Jersey was finally able to bring about a rethink in the US government.

All over the world, people love gambling and the industry is booming almost without limits. As a result, the industry has developed well in regions such as Europe and the UK. The USA, on the other hand, has lagged behind, because the prohibition of gambling on the Internet for a period of 8 years has naturally left clear traces in the development.

The states were only enabled to establish their own laws and regulatory mechanisms in 2018. This naturally explains the need to catch up that now prevails in the USA. However, it can probably be assumed that the situation in the USA could develop in a similar way to that in Europe sooner or later.

Ultimately, it can be assumed that the online gaming industry will probably continue to open up new markets in the coming years. In this respect, one can certainly expect a lot from the USA.

The More Liberalization, The More Security

If we take a look at Germany, we can see that here, too, a positive end has been reached after years of wrangling over the gambling market and its liberalization. This is true for both gambling operators and users, and of course for the state itself. Ultimately, the state benefits from the tax revenues and, thanks to regulation, significantly increased player protection is now also being provided at the same time. This makes it clear that a clear win-win situation has come about here.

Players can now officially play in online casinos and do not have to fear reprisals from the state. At the same time, the state exerts influence on player protection to a certain extent.

This concerns not only safe payouts, but also the protection of minors and addictive behavior. With the introduction of a player file, it is now possible to exclude addiction-prone players from gaming for their own protection. In addition, the risk of players visiting unlicensed casinos has been significantly reduced. These things, too, will certainly be followed with interest in the U.S., and here the U.S. can definitely learn from Europe and Great Britain.