The Growth of Online Casinos in North America
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This year, the online gambling industry is projected to generate more than $90 billion. The growing legalization of online casinos in the US is one of the reasons the industry's growth is surging.
The first online casino in the world launched in 1994 in Antigua and Barbuda. In 1996, Canada authorized the launch of the Kahnawake Gaming Reserve. There was no clear law about regulating online gambling at the time. Most casinos didn't even acquire licenses.
Canada's British Columbia was the first province in Canada to legalize online gambling. The US government banned all forms of online casinos in 2006. Other Canadian provinces like Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario were permitting online betting one after another. Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec legalized online casino in 2015.
The Department of Justice approved online casinos in 2011. Delaware and New Jersey legalized online casino in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Las Vegas authorized online poker in 2015. Pennsylvania joined the list of states with legal onlinecasinos in 2017. West Virginia created a similar law two years later.
Sports betting was legalized in the US in 2018. It boosted the growth of online casinos. However, it didn't lead to widespread legalization of such casinos in North America. To date, fewer than 10 states permit online slots and table games.
There are more Americans who gamble through overseas-based casinos than those who do so locally. More than $2 billion is spent at offshore online casinos every year. States and provinces in Canada are still dragging to create progressive iGaming laws.
The growth of online casinos in North America skyrocketed in 2020 after COVID-19 became a pandemic. Las Vegas suspended business. Major League sports cancelled matches and bars and hotels suffered the same fate. Millions of people in the North American were stuck at home with no sports to watch or places to visit. Many of them tried online casino for the first time.
Online casinos have been growing steadily in North America since the 1990s. For many gamblers, offshore casinos offer better services.
