Online gambling has been soaring in demand across the world for a while now. It allows for a lot of growth, mainly because it’s not been available in many areas for a long time. So, when it becomes accessible, it means that the market increases at a very fast rate. We’ve taken a look at why online gambling has grown so fast in South America, and whether it is legal in the region.
Is Online Gambling Legal in South America?
The simple answer to this question is that it depends on the country. Some allow players to take part in online gambling and some don’t. For example, there is currently a lot of excitement in USA in relation to online gambling. This is because it’s growing at an extremely fast rate. However, in Brazil and Ecuador, gambling isn’t allowed at all, even in an offline form.
As such it means that some areas of South America are growing the online gambling market at a very fast rate, while others aren’t growing at all. There are a number of reasons why South America is so fertile in terms of online gambling. Here’s a closer look at why it is such a growth market.
Fast Growing Market
The basics behind why the market is growing so fast, is that the desire for online gambling is already in place. Many countries that didn’t have online gambling legislation in the recent past, still had a vibrant online gambling community. This is due to offshore sites offering players the ability to enjoy online gambling even if the country didn’t legislate for it.
A great example of this is the USA. Online gambling is a relatively new practice, in terms of legality. However, players had been partaking in it for a long time before due to VPN use, and offshore sites. This meant that when legal options were available to players, a large number of them made the switch to legal sites instantly.
It’s something that has been replicated in a number of different South American countries as players who were already playing at offshore online casinos made the switch to regulated sites the moment they became available.
Of course, it’s not just the fact that the market was already in place that caused the market to explode. There are other factors in place as well.
Other Factors
One of the biggest factors, is that the internet infrastructure has improved significantly in South America. Previously, fast internet wasn’t available in many homes at all. As this became available to all people, it meant that previously unavailable services suddenly became viable. This included things like streaming and online gambling.
What has also helped this to grow is the widespread use of mobile devices as a personal computer. Not everyone has a laptop or desktop computer, so mobile devices have been able to fill this gap in a relatively affordable way. For a long time, this still didn’t offer full access to online casinos due to the compatibility issues that were in place.
However, over time this has become less of an issue as technology used to create the games has become more inclusive and the mobile browsers have improved in quality. This has meant that more players than ever before in South America have full access to a range of different online casinos. This has allowed the market to grow at a fast pace and made sure that players can easily and reliably connect to the sites.
Why Should Countries Legalize Online Gambling?
The most obvious reason is because it will help to create a lot more revenue for the country. Currently,offshore sites that cater to South American countries without legal online gambling, don’t pay any tax. It means that the profits they make from citizens of those countries leave the country forever. The money isn’t paid back into the country through tax revenue, and it doesn’t create any jobs within the country.
This means that there is no benefit to the country from keeping online gambling illegal. Players will still find a way to play at online casinos, and if they don’t have the ability to do it in a legal way, they will use offshore sites. So, countries should make it legal for two reasons.
Firstly, as we have already alluded to, it will generate more revenue for the country. This will improve the economy and help in a big way. Secondly, it will stop people from taking risks and ensure that they are safer. The country will be able to set their own rules, and therefore it means players can be protected better.
