America has had a lot of firsts with regard to technology and innovation. The country built the first automobile, the first telephone, and the first computer. The United States has been known as an innovator throughout much of its history. However, one place the United States is not an innovator is in the world of online gaming. In fact, very few of the companies that are pioneers in the online gambling business are in the United States.
Online Gaming in the United States
Currently, online gambling is legal in four states in the United States. These states are Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada. While Nevada has had online gaming for a few years, the other three states are new to legal online gaming. Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey just passed their laws on online gaming in 2017 or 2018.
However, most experts agree it is just a matter of time before many states move forward with their online gaming plans. Several states, such as Mississippi and West Virginia, are set to legalize gambling within the next year. Other states, including New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, and Louisiana, had bills that allowed for online gambling. However, they did not pass in the states’ legislative sessions. All those states currently have casinos and want to add online gaming to their existing gambling laws.
The Gap Between American Companies and European Companies
While fairly new in the United States, online gaming has been in Europe for at least a decade. This may explain why, in a list of top online gaming companies in the world, the U.S. isn’t even mentioned. This is even more interesting considering that many of the top casino companies in the world are American. MGM Resorts and GVC’s recent partnership would put online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks in all casinos where it’s legal. The 25-year-long venture means both companies will continue to grow and prosper along with the expected growth of online gaming. MGM is an American-owned company, but GVC is a British company based in the United Kingdom.
A look at the top online gambling companies reveals that none of them is American. Bet365, Paddy Power Betfair, William Hill, 888 Holdings, and Jackpotjoy are all British companies in the online gambling market. The Stars Group, which has the largest online poker business in the world, is a Canadian-owned company. Two Swedish companies, The Kindred Group and Betsson, are also in the top 10 companies for online gaming.
Even in online gaming technology, the U.S. falls short, which is alarming given the United States is a technology giant. Of the top companies in the world for Internet gaming technology, only two are American. Again, Britain has BetGenius and Miomni in the list of top companies. Another large gaming technology company, SB Tech, has its headquarters on the Isle of Man. Three other companies, Kambi (Swedish), IGT (Italian), and SportRadar (Norwegian/Swiss), are also on the top 10 list. Two of the companies (CG Technologies and Scientific Games) are American.
The Future
There are some bright spots in this otherwise bleak outlook of top gaming companies. First, Caesars, an American owned gaming/casino company, announced it was expanding into sports betting in both New Jersey and Mississippi. Its partner is Scientific Games, an American-owned company. In addition, CGI, another American-owned company, is providing gaming technology to Atlantis Casino for its online casino gambling business. American gaming companies have gotten a late start. However, it appears they are on their way toward providing a real challenge to their competitors across the pond.
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