Coronavirus Negatively Impacting Gambling Industry

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

Gambling revenues throughout the world are down to start the year, largely due to the impact of the novel coronavirus that's spreading throughout the globe.

The biggest impact thus far has been in Macau, which saw revenues drop 88% in February compared to the same time last year. The former Portuguese colony took the extreme step of closing many of the casinos during the month in order to help stop the spread of the disease. Other areas where gambling is big, such as Singapore, have also been negatively impacted as they have large visitor bases from mainland China.

Globally, revenues are behind 8% when compared to 2019, becoming only the second time in the last 20 years where the numbers have fallen.

Gaming analysts H2 claim that in a best-case scenario for the betting industry is to have a 1% decline from last year to $452 billion, although numbers could be much worse if things don't go well with the spread of the disease.

It's not known what impact online gambling will face from the virus. Some numbers could be up as punters stay home to test their luck, although sportsbetting could be impacted if certain events (such as the Olympics) are outright canceled.

We'll follow any impact that the virus has on the betting industry and report back to players.

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.