The analytical platform Blask has shared its latest weekly report on the WoW dynamics of iGaming markets based on the Blask Index. Here are the key highlights:
Biggest Growth:
- 28.7% β Singapore: On May 4, the only legal gambling operator in the country, Singapore Pools, held a $10 million jackpot draw for the national Toto lottery, with the winning ticket purchased online. This event made headlines in national media.
- 23.0% β Belgium: This was the first full week after the introduction of mandatory identity checks and self-exclusion status in betting shops and venues with gaming machines, tightening control in the previously less regulated land-based segment.
- 20.4% β Senegal: No specific reason identified for the growth.
- 20.3% β South Korea: Starting May 1, police launched a nationwide campaign against illegal gambling establishments, focusing on poker bars that operate as covers for unlicensed betting. The campaign will run until August and has received extensive media coverage.
- 15.6% β Canada, Quebec: The start of the second round playoff series in the NHL between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres, with home games returning to Montreal, helped recover from a 25.7% decline the previous week after the first round ended.
Biggest Decline:
- 15.8% β Slovenia: No specific reason identified; Blask analysts consider this fluctuation within normal volatility.
- 13.4% β India: A quieter week in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, with key playoff events occurring on the last day of the reporting period, May 10, which did not impact the weekly dynamics.
- 13.3% β Romania: On May 5, parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the government, raising questions about the future of regulation and enforcement in the politically sensitive gambling sector.
- 12.1% β Greece: No specific reason identified.
- 12.0% β Vietnam: A correction following a 15.5% increase the previous week, amid four-day public holidays for Reunification Day on April 30 and Labor Day on May 1.
According to Blask analysts, the largest growth in Singapore was driven by a single national lottery draw. While Toto falls under the lottery segment rather than betting or casinos, Singapore Pools, as the only legal operator, accounts for nearly 90% of the Blask Index for Singapore, and the large online win boosted activity across the entire gambling segment in the country. The IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship starts on May 15 in Switzerland and will run until May 31, with the group stage expected to support iGaming activity in Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Canada. The group stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament concludes on May 24, with the fight for playoff spots remaining the main driver of the Indian iGaming market. The NBA conference semifinals from May 11-17 will support markets in the USA.