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State of Play’s TL;DR
- The world gambling market could top $910 billion in less than a decade.
- ResearchAndMarkets.com’s reports points out that last year’s industry topped $576 billion.
The global gambling market is projected to reach $910.92 billion by 2035, according to a new industry outlook distributed by ResearchAndMarkets.com.
The report, “Gambling Global Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2035,” says the market reached $576.72 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $728.19 billion by 2030 before rising further over the following five years.
The outlook points to continued expansion in online betting and digital gambling infrastructure, even as regulation and compliance remain major constraints.
Forecast points to slower but continued growth through 2035
According to the report summary, the global gambling market posted a 14.1% compound annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025. That pace is forecast to slow to about 4.8% from 2025 to 2030 and 4.6% in the following period through 2035.
The report identifies some of the largest commercial opportunities in:
- Online sports betting
- Lotteries
- VIP players
- Growth markets in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East
It also says historic growth was supported by higher sports viewership, increased betting participation, more international sporting events, steady lottery demand, and broader social acceptance of gambling.
AI, fintech, and payments are among the major themes
The outlook highlights technology and product development as central themes for the next decade. Among the trends cited are:
- AI
- Big data analytics
- Digital recommendation systems
- Fintech integration
- Blockchain
- Regtech
- Digital payment solutions
The report also points to more experimental areas, including augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality, IoT-enabled infrastructure, and connected digital ecosystems.
Those opportunities are balanced against several risks.
The report says high regulatory and compliance costs have already constrained expansion, while future growth could be limited by regulatory approvals, license renewals, advertising restrictions, and economic uncertainty tied to tariffs and broader global trade disputes.
It also flags gambling addiction, responsible gambling concerns, and mental health issues as continuing pressures on the sector.
Based on reporting by Yahoo Finance.
