Mobile Gaming Industry Key Statistics (104) – Market Size and Growth

With the global iGaming industry reaching record levels of growth each year, it comes as no surprise that forecasts for the upcoming years predict the global online gambling sector to reach $153.57 billion (roughly £120.20 billion) by 2030. Comparing these numbers to the growth predicted for 2023, we obtain a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.7%.

One major reason for the rapid evolution of the iGaming market is the surge in smartphone and internet penetration, with mobile casinos exerting a positive influence on market growth. Another factor that further propelled the popularity of mobile gambling on a global scale was the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Due to the restrictions imposed during the global pandemic, online gambling became extremely popular as it was easily accessible, especially thanks to the mobile-compatible versions of casinos and sportsbooks. According to a University of Bristol study, in May 2021 regular online gamblers shared that their willingness to gamble online was more than six times higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Mobile Gaming Industry Statistics Expressing Market Size and Growth

To gain a better understanding of how the mobile gambling sector has contributed to the increasing popularity of the overall iGaming market, we have compiled more than 100 statistics on the mobile gaming industry and predictions for its expansion in the upcoming years. Different factors have contributed to the surge in popularity of mobile gaming and we will present you with the numbers that show how this industry has evolved in the past few years.

While the huge mobile and internet penetration, as well as the global pandemic, have lifted mobile gambling to new heights, there are other factors that promise even bigger growth for the industry in the upcoming years. For the period between 2023 and 2030, the mobile gambling segment is expected to reach its highest CAGR as new betting applications emerge, offering a more convenient gambling experience.

Here are more than 100 statistics to demonstrate how the mobile gaming sector has evolved and how it is forecast to grow in the upcoming years.

One major reason for the projected growth of the mobile gambling industry is the increased use of smartphones worldwide. With more smartphone and internet users every day, the popularity of gambling on the go is inevitable, with mobile devices becoming a preferred device for online gambling among a large number of players.

Social casino apps are a major part of mobile gambling, contributing to the overall growth of the industry. While social casino games do not offer the chance to win real money when placing bets, they often include in-app purchases, which require real money. With both Android and iOS users having access to a variety of casino apps, the casino genre ranks among the top choices for US mobile app players.

In addition to North America, social gambling has also become a prominent part of mobile gambling across other continents. This can be seen in the social casino app statistics we have provided below, giving you a better understanding of the key role of social gambling in the continuous growth of the mobile gambling market.

The most popular casino gaming app worldwide for April 2023, based on revenue, was Coin Master, generating more than $61 million (£47.8 million) through in-app purchase (IAP) revenue.

In April 2023, the most popular casino gaming app in the world based on the number of downloads was Coin Master, with a total of 5,743,643 downloads.

What about the influence of top social casino app publishers?

With more online casinos and sportsbooks offering fully optimised mobile versions of their websites, the mobile gambling industry continues growing and is expected to reach exponential levels in the upcoming years. Another factor that has contributed to the surging popularity of mobile gambling is the introduction of legal mobile betting in quite a few US states. With the repeal of PASPA in 2018, states in the US have slowly opened up to legal mobile betting, eventually putting the US on the map of major mobile betting markets.

In January 2022, the number of states that had legalised mobile sports betting was 18. By May 2023, that number had reached 28, with several other states also considering launching legal mobile sports betting for their residents.

If we look at the different forms of mobile gambling, we see that certain genres contribute significantly to the growth of the global industry. Sports betting has been the top mobile gambling genre for quite a few years and continues to dominate the market, with predictions also showing sports betting taking the largest market share in the upcoming years.

One of the reasons why sports betting continues to be a leading form of mobile gambling is the repeal of the PASPA law in the US in 2018, enabling multiple states to introduce mobile sports betting to their residents. That further expanded the mobile betting market, with predictions for the future showing even more states introducing legal mobile betting in the coming years.

While some virtual casinos offer dedicated mobile apps, almost all gaming websites have a browser-based mobile version, which can run smoothly on the browser app of almost any mobile device. With the increasing penetration of mobile internet services, the mobile gambling industry continues to grow on a global scale.

While smartphones are the preferred device for most online gamblers, fewer sportsbooks and online casinos offer their own dedicated apps. There are plenty of reasons for that, with the additional cost of creating and constantly updating such an app being one of the common factors that force operators to choose browser-based mobile versions of their websites instead. Even if a virtual casino or sportsbook does not offer a dedicated app, however, that is rarely an issue for most mobile gamblers.

Bingo is also a popular form of gambling, especially among female gamblers worldwide. While its market share is not as big as that of mobile sports betting, bingo still contributes to the growth of mobile gambling, with more than half of global online bingo players choosing to play their favourite games via smartphones and tablets.

With the lottery being the only form of legal betting in quite a few countries, it is only natural that it has also contributed to the popularity of online gambling and to the growth of mobile gambling. The mobile lottery sector in Europe has been growing exponentially in the past few years and projections show further expansion of the market. On a global scale, mobile lottery has also been a major part of the overall surge in mobile gambling, with predictions for the future showing that mobile lottery will continue to grow, reaching substantial revenue by 2026.

The UK is one of the major markets for both online and mobile gambling. With the UK’s gambling regulator being one of the strictest authorities in the world, new regulations are constantly introduced to ensure a safer gambling environment.

Most online casinos and sportsbooks that have obtained a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) offer dedicated apps, enabling easy gambling on the go for both Android and iOS users. That further boosts the popularity of mobile gambling among UK players, with more than half of online gamblers choosing to place their bets using mobile devices. Despite the local regulator introducing numerous restrictions, the mobile gambling industry in the UK is projected to continue to grow in the upcoming years.

Online gambling has still not been legalised in Australia; operators have no option to obtain a licence to provide online casino or sports betting services to Australians. Nevertheless, some websites welcome players from Down Under, and many of them also have fully optimised mobile versions. While it is not recommended for Australians to play on offshore mobile casinos and sportsbooks, social casino games are quite popular among Aussies.

With numerous Australians downloading social casino apps on their smartphones, it comes as no surprise that the country also contributes to the growth of the overall mobile gambling industry. Unfortunately, there have been concerns about social casino games being too popular among children in Australia, with studies showing that games simulating gambling are quite popular among adolescents.

Considering the different factors that have contributed to the current market size of the global mobile gambling sector, it comes as no surprise that projections for this industry in the upcoming years predict even faster and bigger growth. Below, we have listed a few statistics that show forecasts for the development of the global mobile gambling sector. Keep in mind that with even greater mobile and internet penetration, as well as the introduction of technologies such as AI, VR and AR, the mobile gambling industry may even surpass these numbers.

Mobile Gaming Industry Key Statistics Conclusion

As we can conclude from the statistics shared above, mobile gambling is an integral part of the growth of the online gambling sector. With the number of gamblers choosing to place their bets via smartphones constantly increasing, smartphones have become the most-used device for online gambling in recent years.

One reason why mobile gambling has become even more popular in the last couple of years was the COVID-19 global pandemic. With people stuck at home, many resorted to online gambling, especially via their handheld devices. Even after restrictions were lifted, many gamblers continued gambling during their daily commutes or while out and about. The easiest way to do that is by using a smartphone, which further explains the increasing growth of mobile gambling.

Another factor that has contributed to the popularity of mobile gambling is the social casino element. With numerous smartphone users choosing to play social casino games on the go, these apps rank among the top games played by both Android and iOS users. While these apps do not offer the chance to win real-money prizes, their in-app purchases have brought top social casino game publishers considerable IAP revenue.

Europe has been the biggest mobile gambling market for the past few years and it is predicted to continue holding the largest market share in the coming years. That said, the many US states that have introduced legal mobile sports betting in recent years have also contributed to the growth of the mobile gambling industry. Projections for the US market show huge expansion as more states work towards the legalisation of mobile sports betting.

While we expect a huge surge in the market size of the global mobile gambling industry, we will not be surprised if our predictions are surpassed. With so many factors driving rapid growth, our estimations may easily be exceeded in the next few years.