Online gambling is a language millions of people understand. Whether you love poker, blackjack, slots or roulette – they are universal games that appeal to countries all over the world. In this article we are going to provide an overview of the top four countries that adore gambling online.
South Africa
In 2004, the National Gambling Act prohibited many forms of online gambling. This was re-enforced in 20120. However, there are exceptions with horse racing and sports betting permitted. Despite outlawing most of the popular forms of gambling, there are offshore sites that market the Top SA online casinos. Whilst the government appears to have taken a harsh stance on online gambling by stating hefty fines would be dished out, in reality, players are not prosecuted for playing on offshore casino sites. This has resulted in a proliferation of online casinos that specifically target the South African gambling market.
United Kingdom
The UK is arguably the pinnacle of what online gambling should be. The UK gambling commission is an authority that regulates and educates on key issues like responsible gambling. Operators are also well versed in this and have to be seen to care about customers.
Secondly, winnings are not subject to tax which means no heavy admin or paper work involved. Finally, the media are regulated and cannot promote gambling websites often or to youths. All this, coupled with the UK’s love for sports betting, bingo and gambling in general makes gambling a very popular activity in the United Kingdom. All one has to do is watch a premier league match and see the countless bookies plastered over football kits to realise how loved gambling is in the UK.
Australia
The Aussies are huge lover of online gambling and have been for some time. Some research suggests that as many as 78% of the citizens participating in some of form of online gambling. Like the UK, anything won is tax free so its appeal is wide and far reaching. Australians favourite gambling game has to be pokies, the slots game with countless variations. There have been motions to deter to Australians gambling so much but it doesn’t seem to be effective so far. We wrote a guide to online gambling in Australia which gives a complete picture of the gambling scope there so feel free to check it out.
Canada
As one of the freest societies in the world, gambling is very accessible in Canada. In addition to the traditional gambling games, online poker in Canada is especially loved. In fact, many American professional poker players emigrated to Canada once online gambling was illegal in the US. They saw it as an opportunity to continue earning whilst living in an English speaking country. Like most other commonwealth nations, Canada is another place that lets residents keep all gambling winnings tax free. Another reason why many Americans moved! We think Canada’s love for poker was given a forceful push when famous Canadians like Daniel Negreanu gained notoriety for earning tens of millions and appear in the biggest poker TV shows.
There you have it, four countries that love online casinos and poker rooms. Was there a nation we missed that deserved to be included? If so, contact us.
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Narciso Baldo
Narciso Baldo is the Director and Head Coach of Texas Hold'em Questions. He has been playing poker for over 16 years. After spending many years as a professional, he now runs UK poker training site Texas Hold'em Questions. Narciso regularly writes poker articles sharing tips, strategy, news and experience with gambling enthusiasts. Narciso also writes for reputable gambling portal Casino City Times, (bio here). Contact: [email protected]
