The past week saw notable developments in the iGaming landscape, particularly driven by domestic soccer events, significant lottery jackpots, and a busy sports calendar. Kansas emerged as the standout performer with a remarkable growth rate of 78.5%, followed closely by Cyprus at 48.7%, largely attributed to a €5.4 million jackpot from the Joker lottery and the kickoff of its national soccer league season.
Several countries reaped benefits from various sporting events. North Macedonia, Colombia, Tanzania, Spain, South Africa, Namibia, and Pakistan all reported increased earnings, driven by soccer, cricket, and rugby matches. In many cases, the surge in earnings was evident irrespective of which specific event was responsible.
Conversely, some regions faced losses. Turkey experienced the steepest decline at 34.8% despite the full slate of Süper Lig matches. Quebec’s performance dropped due to adjustments following a C$55 million Lotto Max lottery reset. Russia continued its downward trend after a sharp increase of 134.0%, while Switzerland also corrected from a previous gain of 40.3%.
**Top 5 Gainers of the Week**
– **Kansas (+78.5%)**
Kansas topped the growth chart largely due to a convergence of local sporting and lottery events. The Kansas City Royals enjoyed a nine-game winning streak, which ended on August 26 but reignited with a 13–2 win against Toronto and two victories over Cleveland on August 28-29. Additionally, a ticket from Kansas won $50,000 in Powerball on August 24, fueling local interest.
– **Cyprus (+48.7%)**
Cyprus benefited significantly from two simultaneous gambling events. The Joker draw on August 27 yielded no first-tier winners, escalating the jackpot to €5.54 million by the following draw on August 30. Concurrently, the Cyprus League kicked off its new season on August 28, hosting six matches, including three high-profile derbies.
– **North Macedonia (+30.7%)**
The surge in North Macedonia can be largely attributed to the strong start of its domestic football season, without additional regulatory changes or lottery impacts during the reporting week.
– **Colombia (+26.4%)**
Colombia enjoyed its second consecutive increase after a previous rise of 27.9%. Following a hiatus due to an earthquake, Liga BetPlay resumed and hosted Matchday 8 on August 26, with additional games on August 29 and 30. The ongoing rise reflects a recovery linked to the return of domestic football.
– **Tanzania (+26%)**
Tanzania saw several key football matches, including Young Africans defeating JKT Tanzania 4-0 on August 24 and another victory over Pamba Jiji on August 28. Simba, another major team, also performed well, contributing to the overall gains in the sport.
**Top 5 Decliners of the Week**
– **Turkey (–34.8%)**
Turkey suffered its largest decline despite hosting a full series of Süper Lig matches. Notably, Galatasaray lost to Göztepe (3–2), and Başakşehir and Kasımpaşa played to a 1–1 draw. This indicates that even a busy schedule does not necessarily correlate with increased performance.
– **Quebec (–23.6%)**
Quebec's decline correlates with the downturn of the Lotto Max jackpot, reset to C$10 million after the C$55 million draw on August 21, aiming to stabilize player demand following an unusually large prize.
– **Russia (–22.5%)**
After a significant rise earlier in August, Russia's reporting week showed a decreased interest in iGaming. An important Premier League match between CSKA and Lokomotiv, as well as a game between Spartak and Zenit, did not generate the same level of engagement demonstrated in prior weeks, resulting in two consecutive weeks of decline.
– **Alberta (–17.8%)**
Despite positive growth from privately owned online operators, Alberta's performance dipped following a series of regulatory reminders from Canadian authorities regarding sports prediction contracts in the province.
– **Switzerland (–14.9%)**
Switzerland could not maintain its earlier momentum, dropping after leading with a 40.3% increase last week. Matchday 4 of the Swiss Super League was significant, but subsequent matches, including a game between Young Boys and Basel on August 29, failed to sustain interest.
**Market Spotlight: Cyprus (+48.7%)**
Cyprus experienced the second-highest growth rate, thanks to overlapping gambling events. The Joker lottery, with draw 3111, yielded no big winner on August 27, carrying the jackpot to €5.54 million for August 30, where once again no large prizes were awarded. The Cyprus League's commencement provided additional matches, fostering a surge in betting activity. The sustained interest level will be evaluated in the coming weeks as the Joker is projected to increase at the next draw on September 1, followed by Matchday 2 from September 4-7. Depending on the outcomes, this could signify either a sustained increase in interest or a one-time spike.
