Global gambling revenues passed US$400 billion (MOP3.2 trillion) last year, according to the latest research undertaken by Global Betting and Gaming Consultants. The provisional figures show that gambling activities generated US$419 billion in revenues across the world in 2011. This figure is an increase of 5.6 percent on the previous year and a new record. Global Betting and Gaming Consultants is forecasting that global gambling revenues will reach US$500 billion by 2014, as there are numerous new casinos under development in Asia that are due to open in the next few years. In 2011 the world’s lotteries had the highest share of gambling revenues, accounting for 28.4 percent of the total. But the growth of casinos in jurisdictions likes Macau and Singapore means that commercial casinos (excluding U.S. tribal gaming) are closing in on the lotteries with a share of 27.7 percent. Global Betting and Gaming Consultants forecast that commercial casinos will overtake lotteries as the leading gambling activity in 2012. Meanwhile, yesterday the Nevada regulators announced the state’s results for 2011. The 37 casinos on the Las Vegas Strip earned US$6.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 5.1 percent from the previous year. For December, Las Vegas Strip casinos reported a win of US$518.4 million, an increase of 3.6 percent.
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