A few times a year some market research organisation comes up with a survey on online gambling. Though the exact numbers do vary, the trend is unmistakeable. The incidence of online gambling is moving only in one direction and that is upwards.

The latest market research report has been published by Transparency Market Research and is titled "Online Gambling & Betting Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2018 - 2026". During this period the global online gambling market is expected to grow at a rate of 11.8% and reach US$ 128.2 billion by 2026. Europe currently holds the leading share of the online gambling market, which is understandable given the legal uncertainty in the United States.

Online gambling includes the full range of verticals like casino, poker, sports betting, lottery, social gaming, bingo and fantasy sports through an Internet-based digital platform. There are several reasons cited for the predicted growth. On top is the continued penetration and advancement of Internet services. Special mention was made of the integration of live streaming with online gambling and betting that offers more customisable options. Another important factor is the increasing trust on online gaming and online mode of payment. Lastly is the legalisation and regulation of online gambling in many regions across the globe. The report indicated some threats as well. These include threat of cyber-attack, social pressures against online gambling leading to over strict regulation and competition from traditional brick and mortar options.

The global online gambling market was segmented by gaming vertical, device type and region. In the gaming vertical part, the sports betting segment is anticipated to expand fastest at about 14% annually during the forecast period. The next fastest growth will be in the online casino vertical at 12%. In the device type part, the mobile gaming segment is anticipated to expand at around 16% from 2018 to 2026. The desktop segment is expected to grow at around 6%. In terms of value, the desktop segment is much larger and is closer to saturation. The advancement in mobile device hardware capability allows quality gaming and lets players make better use of the time that is usually wasted.

The growth according to regions also makes for interesting region. The fastest growth will be in the Asia Pacific region at around 14 %. This is region has been the latest entrant into online gambling and therefore the growth potential is significant. Offshore online gambling sites are making a huge push in this region with attractive offers. The online gambling market in North America is anticipated to expand at about 12 %. The main reason is that now states in the USA have been permitted to regulate online gambling, including sports betting, within their borders.