by Ashley Elizabeth on Nov 02, 2021
When it comes to gambling and gaming, there’s plenty of competition. This is great for the regular gambler, as it means that the industry is constantly having to innovate and come up with new ways to both appeal to new markets and keep hold of seasoned veterans.
What’s more, the pandemic catalyzed the transition of gambling from brick-and-mortar establishments to online services. With greater swathes of the global population owning a portable device that operates via ever-improving technology – a fact that will only improve with the implementation of 5G – gambling has opened up to even more people. As a result, the industry has had to revolutionize and offer more digital services, including live-streamed casino games and eSports betting, virtual and mobile gambling, the introduction of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, and safer payment methods.
Gambling giants have savvily joined with providers of cryptocurrencies too, to offer encrypted services for players, as well as greater anonymity and simplicity for gamblers. It’s also never been easier to keep up to date with the latest bitcoin casino news – so if you’re a keen gambler and user of cryptocurrency, be sure to remain tuned into the frequent developments of both.
Gambling is big business: a report published by Global Analysts Inc. records that the global market for gambling was an estimated US$711.4 billion in 2020, and this looks set to rise to US$876 billion by 2026. The U.S. and Asia-Pacific markets are the largest, but Canada and Europe look set to grow by 3.1% and 3.5% respectively by 2026. As the data shows, then, gambling is here to stay.
Inevitably, fluctuations in the stock market – both positive and negative – impact exactly which gambling company is currently the biggest in the world. However, these are the top five gambling and gaming companies according to their market capitalization.
Evolution Gaming
Swedish-based Evolution Gaming is a major player in the world of gambling and gaming. Their revenue increased by 53% in 2020, to a total of €561.1million, while their market cap is $35.24 billion.
Flutter Entertainment
Based in Ireland, Flutter Entertainment’s profits have grown by 18% since 2019. It has a market cap of $34.11 billion. They facilitated a successful merger with The Stars Group (TSG), which led to a successful surge in revenue in 2020.
Las Vegas Sands
The company primarily operates in the United States – it’s based in Las Vegas, Nevada – but is currently looking to target the Asian market as a result of the impact of the pandemic on the fortunes of its brick-and-mortar establishments. It has a market cap of $29.65 billion with a revenue of $4.10 billion.
Caesars Entertainment
Another Las Vegas-based gambling company, Caesars Entertainment has a market cap of $23.36 billion and a revenue of $6.33 billion in 2021, a sharp increase from $3.12 billion in 2020. Caesars Entertainment had previously been Eldorado Resorts, but a July 2020 deal resulted in its rebrand.
MGM Resorts
MGM Resorts overwhelmingly focus on the U.S. market, unlike its competitors. Its market cap is $22.72 billion with a revenue of $6.27 billion, which is an improvement on their 2020 revenue of $4.91 billion.