Following the release of the 2021 Las Vegas Visitor Survey last week, we take a look at what the average gambler looks like in four major gambling markets in the world, including Las Vegas, Macau, Australia, and Singapore.
A word of caution needs to be aired, however, as each region conducts its gambling expenditure surveys differently and for differing intent. Las Vegas and Macau’s respective surveys are focused on visitors only and are aimed at better understanding tourist behavior.
On the other hand, Australia and Singapore’s gambling studies are geared towards minimizing problem gambling amongst the domestic population. The results take only the domestic population into account.
In regards to the data, it is interesting to note that the typical Macau visitor is in the 26-35 year age group, which is far younger than any of the other markets observed.
In Las Vegas’ case, the average age of visitors declined in 2021, from 46.2 years of age to 43.3 years of age. The average gambling budget was up significantly from $591 from a year prior.
In Australia, due to the results of lockdowns, most of the gambling activity that has taken place has been in lotteries and scratch tickets, though a sizeable amount was still spent on slot machines.
Singapore saw a similar effect as a result of lockdowns in 2020, which saw a decrease in casino spending amongst the domestic population. Most Singaporean residents reported participating in 4D lottery, TOTO, and social gambling during the year.
We also find that the average gambling spending in Australia and Singapore appears to be far lower than that of Macau and Las Vegas – however, note that these figures are spread over a per-capita basis, unlike Macau and Las Vegas, which look at it from a per-gambler basis.
