Asia takes the lead in high-stakes bets, while Europe leads with female players – insights from SOFTSWISS, a leading global iGaming technology provider, backed by its Casino Platform data analysis.
SOFTSWISS experts scrutinised the data from the Casino Platform's client projects, spanning September 2022 to August 2023, to create profiles of contemporary players across three regions: Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
EUROPE
The European iGaming market consistently ranks top in terms of revenue generation and financial performance. According to the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform data, Europe boasts eight times the number of active players compared to LatAm and a staggering 18-fold increase compared to Asia. Furthermore, 68.3% of European players favour mobile devices for placing their bets, with the average bet size nearly doubling that of Latin America but still behind the Asian figure.
Gender disclosure is not mandatory during the registration process in certain online casinos, but even with the available data, some intriguing patterns emerge. According to the SOFTSWISS research, nearly half of European online casino players are male, accounting for 47% of the total player base. At the same time, Europe is the leader in the number of female players (18.11%), closely followed by LatAm, while Asia lags significantly behind. SOFTSWISS experts contend that this can be attributed to a heightened level of female engagement in the European economy, which is closely correlated with higher educational attainment and, consequently, improved access to personal income sources.
When considering the age range of contemporary online players from Europe, the majority falls within the 31–40 age group. This demographic tends to gravitate toward slot games as their preferred gaming option, with card games and roulette holding the second and third positions.
Darya Avtukhovich, Head of SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, comments: “One of the important aspects for the European market is payment systems. Due to diverse player locations, operators need multiple payment options, which becomes even more complex in regulated markets. SOFTSWISS is actively addressing this by obtaining licences and certifications. We also integrate payment systems into the Casino Platform, ensuring flexibility for operators entering specific markets.”
LATIN AMERICA
LatAm emerges as a promising hub for the iGaming industry. Markets that have already embraced online casino and bookmaker regulation are witnessing steady growth, while countries that are on the verge of implementing these regulations anticipate remarkable growth in the near future.
According to the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform data, in LatAm, 69.2% of active players use mobile devices to place bets in online casinos, slightly exceeding the equivalent figure in Europe. Male players constitute the majority, while females comprise 17.4% of the user base. The largest player demographics fall within the age group of 31–40 years, representing 20.8% of the total, while those aged 18–24 and 25–30 each account for 18.8%. The variations in distribution between these age groups in LatAm are the smallest among the analysed regions.
Highlighting the key features of the local iGaming culture, Carla Dualib, Regional Business Development Manager in LatAm, says: "Local online casino players tend to place small but regular bets. This sets them apart from European players, who, in turn, opt for less frequent but larger wagers when betting online."
The data collected by the Casino Platform support this expert opinion: players from Latin America place the lowest bets compared to other analysed regions.
"Another key difference between LatAm players and players in other regions is their unwavering love for sports betting, especially football. However, when it comes to classic online casino games, local players are active in slots and roulette games. The latter is gaining momentum – according to the Game Aggregator statistics, roulette games make up 21.8% of all types of games preferred by Latin American players, which is 2–4 times more than in Asia and Europe," noted Darya Avtukhovich, Head of SOFTSWISS Casino Platform.
ASIA
This region is characterised by technological advancement and progressiveness, with certain countries leading the global economy and boasting a high GDP per capita. This progressive nature is evident in the average bet size, which, according to the Casino Platform data, outstrips European averages by 2.5 times and leaves the average bet size of LatAm players trailing behind by more than fourfold.
In Asia, the prevalence of players who prefer mobile betting exceeds that of the other regions, with 71.6% favouring this method. Also, the percentage of female players in Asia is significantly lower, comprising just 6.2%. Within the Asian player demographic, those aged 31 to 40 are the most commonly found group placing bets in the projects powered by the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform.
Slot games dominate the market, accounting for over 80% of all games. Speaking about the entertainment theme, Darya Avtukhovich notes: "Operators catering to the Asian audience should include traditional regional games in their portfolio. This involves not only stylising content using well-known Asian symbols, such as dragons, but also bringing familiar table games for local players online, such as Mahjong and others. Similarly, in sports betting, offering bets on traditional sports like Muay Thai and Kabaddi alongside popular international sports will significantly enhance the online casino's offerings."
Summing up the research, it is evident that common trends exist among players in different regions. However, it is essential to consider local peculiarities to shape an effective strategy. Darya Avtukhovich emphasises the importance of attracting local experts who understand the audience's cultural nuances, traditions, and values. SOFTSWISS implements this approach by leveraging the extensive experience and expertise of its regional managers in LatAm and Asia to effectively develop clients' businesses in new markets.
