New year, new markets. The experts at Slotegrator have picked the top 5 markets that operators should focus on.
New year, new markets. The experts at Slotegrator have picked the top 5 markets that operators should focus on.
There’s nothing more exciting than expanding to a new market. Slotegrator’s top 5 for this year include established heavy hitters Brazil and Canada, both of which are experiencing some exciting changes that are sure to catch operators’ attention, as well as Turkey and the underserved markets of Kazakhstan and Morocco.
Brazil
What’s bigger than Brazil? The correct answer, in 2025, is “nothing.”
The country’s widely anticipated regulated market launched on 1 January. So far, 14 companies are fully licensed to offer online betting. There are another 52 companies holding provisional licenses who will be able to do the same once they correct a few issues.
The Latin Giant has attracted plenty of attention since sports betting was legalized in 2018. Attempts to introduce full regulations lingered in parliament for the next five years until finally gaining steam and being passed last year.
Latin America’s newest regulated market has a lot going for it. Connectivity, a crucial question for online casino and sportsbook operators, is no issue for Brazil’s population of over 200 million, as over 84% of the populace has internet access, and there are an estimated 99 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people.
Moving on from the technical side, there’s the fact that Brazilian football fans are famously passionate, and more than willing to put their money where their heart is. That means we can expect the regulated market to generate some jaw-dropping revenues, and the same will probably be true in the black market, which will likely persist to some degree.
“There’s no ignoring the fact that Brazil is a massive opportunity,” says Slotegrator Head of Marketing Svetlana Kirichenko. “A huge population with a love of betting, especially sports betting, and a recently regulated market — it’s the perfect recipe for iGaming success.”
Canada
What’s new about Canada in 2025? In short, Alberta is following Ontario’s lead.
Traditionally, Canadian players have had two main options — government monopolies or offshore gray-market sites. It’s long been tacitly condoned for players to visit offshore sites. However, that led to millions of Canadian dollars being piped across the border to foreign operators.
A big change came in 2022. In April of that year, the province of Ontario launched private online sports betting and casino gaming, and the market has been growing strongly ever since; players in Ontario wagered CA $18.7 billion in Q2 2024, the most since the launch of the private market.
Likely inspired by Ontario’s success, Alberta has announced plans to follow suit. At the Canadian Gaming Summit 2024, Albertan Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally announced that the province was already working on launching a “free and open market” which would be based on the Ontario model.
Given Canadians’ propensity to gamble (it’s been estimated that 6 in 10 Canadians participate in some form of gambling) and the country’s high level of economic development, Alberta should draw plenty of attention in 2025; while it’s not certain exactly when the free market will be launched, brands will be getting ready to dive in the second it does.
William Sarto, PR & Marketing Specialist at CasinoRIX, notes: “The year 2024 was very dynamic, and the iGaming industry demonstrated significant growth. From our side, I would also like to highlight the stable growth and development of the Canadian market. The province of Ontario has shown consistent growth quarter by quarter, with new brands obtaining local licenses almost every month. Among these were Tooniebet, TatinPlay, CasinoTime, and others. Additionally, more and more service companies are entering Ontario, including slot providers, platforms, and others, signaling substantial potential in the coming years.”
Read related article: Slotegrator expands in Europe and Africa with Octopus Global
