During the past week, the iGaming market experienced a notable shift toward mean reversion following a period characterized by significant fluctuations. Singapore emerged as the leading gainer, showing an impressive increase of 64.8%, recovering from a decline of 58.3%. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan also saw a substantial gain of 31.9% as it launched its regulated iGaming market with its first two licensed operators.
On the other end of the spectrum, Alberta faced the steepest drop, recording a decrease of 71.0% as it underwent a correction following the recent launch of its regulated market. Despite a brief spike after Entain's announcement on July 29, the market quickly fell within an hour. Russia was another notable loser, with a decline of 56.7%.
**Top 5 Gainers of the Week**
1. **Singapore (+64.8%)**
Singapore's revival followed a previous drop, attributed partly to an investigation involving the shell company GemBet, resulting in nine arrests and asset seizures totaling over S$39,000.
2. **Germany (+32.1%)**
Germany's gains stemmed from a successful week in football, with highlights including Bayern Munich's staggering 15-0 victory over Rottach-Egern on July 30.
3. **Uzbekistan (+31.9%)**
Uzbekistan marked a significant development in its iGaming sector with Olimpbet and Oltinbet becoming the first licensed operators on July 31, transitioning to a properly regulated market.
4. **Vietnam (+28.1%)**
This increase followed intensified law enforcement efforts against illegal betting operations, leading to the arrest of 26 individuals linked to Bong88 and lô-đề activities.
5. **Botswana (+23.3%)**
Botswana's rise can be connected to renewed football interest surrounding regional tournaments, particularly the joint bid from South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe to host AFCON 2028, confirmed by COSAFA and BFA president Tariq Babitseng.
**Top 5 Decliners of the Week**
1. **CA-Alberta (-71.0%)**
Alberta saw the most considerable fall last week, adjusting after the launch of its online gambling market on July 13, which initially engaged 22 companies. However, this heightened activity did not sustain.
2. **Russia (-56.7%)**
No specific factors contributing to this decline were identified last week.
3. **South Korea (-29.2%)**
The country continued to experience a downturn driven by consistent event-based declines.
4. **Ecuador (-28.7%)**
Liga Pro matches occurred last week, but a lack of significant regulatory changes hindered market growth.
5. **AU-Queensland (-23.9%)**
Queensland’s decline resulted mainly from a gap in the Northern Winter Racing Carnival calendar.
**Market Spotlight: CA-Alberta (-71%)**
Alberta's 71.0% drop represents the largest weekly movement among tracked markets, occurring just two weeks post-regulated iGaming launch. The market went live on July 13, engaging 22 platforms and resulting in high initial participation levels. A brief spike followed Entain's announcement on July 29 regarding the operation of Sports Interaction and PartyCasino under AGLC licenses, albeit short-lived.
The Blask Index continuously monitors real-time iGaming player interest through AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly to exclude low-intent inquiries such as scams and complaints. The Week-over-Week percentage (WoW%) assesses momentum, indicating positive attention growth or negative declines as applicable.
