How South American Gaming Compare to the US
Guest Contribution – Online gambling is growing, but it doesn’t look the same everywhere. North America already has a big and well-established market, especially in the United States. South America is smaller for now, but growth is starting to attract attention from the industry.
Looking at market size and how people actually play helps show why these regions are so different.
Market Size Across the USA
North America currently dominates online gambling revenue in the Americas. Its market generated around $25 billion in 2024, making up 20–25% of the global revenue. The U.S. alone made around $22–23 billion from sports betting and online casinos.
South America’s online market is still much smaller, somewhere between $1 billion and $2 billion, but it’s expected to grow faster than most other gambling regions, with projections suggesting a 13.7% annual growth rate between 2023 and 2028.
South America’s Growing Gambling Sector
Online gambling in South America is still developing, but it’s definitely speeding up. According to Cognitive Market Research, the Latin American market could reach $13.48 billion in revenue by 2030.
Brazil is leading that. In 2024, its online gambling market was estimated at around $9.69 billion. New laws allowing sports betting and online casinos have opened the doors for operators, and football betting dominates. Makes sense given how big the sport is in the country.
Argentina’s market is worth about $3.80 billion. New regulations and more accessible digital gaming have made it easier for people to play, and more platforms are entering the market.
Colombia comes in at about $2.01 billion, but it’s often mentioned as one of the region’s most organized gambling markets. The country has a clear regulatory system, which helped draw in international operators.
North America’s Established Market
North America has been through a lot already. The turning point came in 2018 when the U.S. repealed PASPA and the market grew quickly after that. By 2024, more than 30 states legalized sports betting, and seven states also approved online casinos. Together they now generate around $14 billion from sports betting and $8 billion from online casino games.
The United States is the biggest online gambling market in the Americas, valued at around $16.56 billion in 2024. Mobile betting plays a big role here, especially with real-time bets during events.
Canada’s market is also growing. A big change came in 2021 when Canada legalized single-event sports betting. Since then, provinces have started regulating online platforms. Ontario alone generated CAD $1.4 billion in revenue in its first year, with over a million active accounts.
Player Activity and Game Preferences
Player habits across the Americas don’t look the same either.
South American players usually gamble less frequently than those in North America. In Brazil, about 61% of players gamble once a month or even less, and only 8% do it daily, while in the United States, about 70% of sports bettors place wagers every week, and around 25% bet daily. Sessions in South America are usually short as well. Many players spend less than half an hour a week on gambling platforms.
Sports betting, mainly football, is the most popular, followed by lottery games, slots, bingo, and card games. Newer formats like crash games and fish table games are starting to pull in younger, mobile-first players. The U.S. players have similar preferences, with sports betting making up 62% of the market.
While the region may have fewer daily players than North America, some providers report higher average daily users. For example, Evolution saw over 500 daily players in South America compared to around 150 in North America. For those looking for more insight into gaming, players can visit freespins.us, which covers data and trends in the industry.
Final Thoughts
North America still leads the online gambling market in the Americas, with tens of millions of players and over $25 billion in revenue each year.
South America, however, is moving fast. New regulations and mobile use are bringing more people in. The region might still be developing, but it’s becoming one of the markets operators are watching most closely.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Advertisements placed in our Guest Contribution sections are in no way intended as endorsements of the advertised products, services, or related advertiser claims by NewsroomPanama.com, the website’s owners, affiliated societies, or the editors. Read more here.
