Biggest losers: countries that lose the most to gambling
02 March 2016
Who are the biggest losers?
Which countries lose the most money on betting? And which aren’t so lucky in the casino? We take a look at the world’s biggest gambling losers, according to data gathered by industry specialists H2 Gambling Capital.
20) Japan
Though there are no legal casinos in Japan, gambling is commonly done through betting on horse racing and purchasing lottery tickets. The average loss per adult is £166.50 per year.
19) Cyprus
Much of the gambling that goes on in Cyprus takes place in casinos, at horseracing tracks or within sports betting establishments where the average losses amount to £167 over a year.
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18) Spain
Spaniards racked up £168 in losses per adult through gambling at casinos and playing on gaming machines.
17) Slovenia
Casinos and other gaming salons where gamblers can play bingo or other betting games are popular with Slovenia’s adult population, costing them £175 on average each year
16) Luxembourg
Despite the extremely strict laws regulating gambling that are in place in Luxembourg, the average adult loses £184 to the national lottery or their visits to the casino.
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15) Iceland
With gambling widely banned throughout Iceland, there’s only a few places where the population can go to try their luck making the lottery a popular option. Annually, gambling adults lose an average £185.
14) Malta
Casinos are where the majority of the annual £188 per adult losses in Malta go.
13) Switzerland
The Swiss try their luck equally between casinos and lotteries, losing £189 per adult.
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12) Denmark
Interactive gaming is also popular among the people of Denmark, who lose an average £204)to gambling.
11) Sweden
The Swedish people lose the majority of their gambling money playing the lottery, as well as interactive computer, mobile and TV games with the average adult losing £221.
10) Canada
The majority of gambling in Canada takes places in casinos and on gaming machines, with the average adult losing £250.
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9) Norway
The lottery is the gamble of choice for Norwegians who lose an annual average of £251.
8) Great Britain
Brits lost £258 per adult, according to the study. These losses are spread reasonably equally between gaming machines, lotteries and interactive gambling, particularly sports betting, on computers or cell phones and TV gaming.
7) Italy
The vast majority of Italians tend to try their luck on gaming machines and the lottery, bringing their average losses per adult to £273.
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6) New Zealand
On average, New Zealanders lose £309 to gambling each year. Non-casino gaming machines are their first choice, but a trip to the casino follows closely thereafter.
5) Finland
Finland’s adult population loses an average of £326 to interactive gambling. Lotteries and gaming machines are other popular ways to gamble.
4) Ireland
Interactive betting with online devices and TVs takes an average of £336 from Irish adults per year.
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3) USA
It’s casinos that suck the most money out of gamblers in the USA with an average loss per adult of £343.
2) Singapore
The average Singaporean adult loses a huge £580 per year due to playing in casinos and trying their hand at the lottery.
1) Australia
On average, Australian adults lost £652 in 2015, the highest on this list. This is mostly down to them playing on the vast number of gaming machines, known locally as ‘pokies’, that are found across the country.