Casinos vs Sports Betting: Which Market is Larger in the Southern Hemisphere?

In the Southern Hemisphere, casinos and sports betting have long led the way in the gambling industry, with both markets dominating the scene when it comes to player numbers as well as business revenues. The rise of online sportsbooks and virtual casinos in recent years has had a profound impact, with the competition between these two major markets experiencing ever-heightened competition. While sports betting has traditionally lagged behind the revenue powerhouses of brick-and-mortar casinos, rapid online growth has threatened to level the playing field. Looking into the gambling culture of the three regions found south of the equator, South America, Oceania, and Africa, let’s look to answer the question of which market now leads the way.

South America 

While countries across the continent possess different cultural attitudes towards gambling as well as varying levels of government legislation to regulate gambling activities, it is generally seen as a popular pastime in South America with long-established sports betting and casino markets. Furthermore, following the emergence of online environments, some industry experts see the region as an explosive market primed for further growth. 

Countries like Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile all have long-established casino industries, with the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aries, home to many of the region's largest land-based venues. Online casino platforms have also started to take off in these nations, most notably in Argentina, where 15 of its 24 jurisdictions have legalized online platforms. Contrastingly, Brazil has imposed strict gambling laws for much of its modern history, with all forms of casinos prohibited. On 1^st January 2025, however, Brazil launched its online gambling market, finally providing Brazilians with regulated platforms to play their favorite games. 

Despite the growth of online casinos in the region, there is no denying that sports betting rules the roost in South America. Driven primarily by a shared adoration of soccer, a love that is deeply ingrained in the culture of all South American countries, sports betting has become hugely popular across the whole continent. With Brazilians spending an estimated $12.2 billion on sports betting sites on international platforms last year, the scale of the popularity of sports betting becomes clear to see.

Looking to the future, sports betting appears to continue its meteoric rise in the region. While the advent of online casinos will certainly boost the overall casino industry, cultural preferences will soon see casinos start to lag behind. 

Oceania

Gambling has established itself as an integral part of Aussie and Kiwi culture, with both nations famed for their pokies, a regional term for slot machines. Australia, in particular, has acquired a taste for gambling, with punters wagering approximately $245 billion in 2022/23. In fact, the state of New South Wales is second only to Nevada (home to Las Vegas) when it comes to the number of gaming machines. 

Being so culturally embedded, casinos are very popular throughout Oceania. As well as the large number of pokies throughout the region, there are also several world-famous brick-and-mortar casinos. Crown Melbourne is home to the casino floor anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, while SkyCity Auckland and Christchurch Casino are the two largest casinos in New Zealand. In Australia alone, the casino gambling market size is estimated at $4.7 billion. The position of online casino platforms in these countries, however, differs quite significantly. In Australia, online casino gaming remains prohibited, while Kiwis can only play online by accessing offshore casinos in New Zealand. This legal position on online platforms has meant that Australia and New Zealand have not felt the effects of the virtual casino boom quite like other nations. 

In Australia, the online sports betting market continues to grow, home to established online sites like Sportsbet and Bet 365. Australians are famously sports-mad, loving nothing more than watching their favorite sport, be that Aussie rules football, rugby league, or cricket. It comes as no surprise then to see that sports betting continues to grow in popularity, with an annual growth rate of 22% and a market size of $6.7 billion. In New Zealand, sports betting is more highly regulated and is only available through the state-run TAB NZ. While it is still popular, a market size of $317 million pales in comparison. 

A decade ago, it could be said that casinos dominated the gambling market in Oceania. However, these days, it seems that the tables have turned. Sports betting appears to have taken over, and with continued growth expected, it doesn’t appear as though this will be changing. 

Africa 

Of the three largest gambling markets across Africa, only one is located in the Southern Hemisphere, South Africa, which currently leads the way, achieving $3.37 billion in revenue last year. Gambling is popular throughout the country, with traditional land-based venues and online platforms alike enjoying large customer bases. But while online sports betting platforms have become regulated under South African legislation, it remains prohibited to provide online casino games in the country. Despite this, many South Africans still play through accessing offshore sites. Neighboring nations like Angola and Mozambique also have developed gambling markets; however, governments are still working to better regulate these, particularly in the face of growing digital spaces. 

Sports betting dominates the South African gambling scene, home to the largest betting population anywhere in Africa. A reported 60.5% of the total gambling revenue generated comes from sports betting, while casinos only represent around 29%. These figures are proof of the impact of the iGaming industry that has emerged in recent years. With South Africa only permitting online sports books and not online casinos, the gap between the two gambling types appears to be widening. 

It appears as though the days of casinos dominating the gambling market are over in the Southern Hemisphere, with both cultural and technological developments shifting demand towards the world of sports betting. So far, the transition to digital appears to have greatly benefited the sports betting industry. Things can change, however. As casinos continue to shift their operations online, the pendulum could soon shift back the other way.