There are 7,4 million gaming machines operating legally in the world.
At the end of 2018, there were 7.402.395 legally operating gaming machines in the world, reveals the Gaming Technologies Association, the body that represents the gaming machine supplier industry in Australasia (a region that includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and some smaller islands in eastern Indonesia).
The report adopts the following definitions for gaming machines: slot machines, video lottery terminals (VLTs), video gaming machines (VGMs) or amusement with prizes (AWPs), pachinko and pachislot machines, and electronic table games (roulette, blackjack, and poker).
The research, conducted by regulatory bodies, government sources, private company surveys, gaming industry bodies, and directly from locations where the machines are installed, is carried out by GTA to help dispel some of the myths surrounding the proportion of gaming machines in its own territory.
“The machines counted are those that are legally installed,” said Chris Muir, CEO of GTA, to Intergame Online . “Where there are illegal machines or where there is no regulation, the count is based only on the number of machines that can be verified.”
He added: “The numbers once again dispel the myths surrounding the ratio of gaming machines in Australia. It also confirms that Australian gaming machines have some of the lowest maximum betting limits in the world, which is consistent with what we found in previous research.”
The study shows a slight reduction in the number of machines installed in Australia, around 720 out of a total of 196.301, which represents 2,6% of the legally installed machines in the world.
The largest installed base of machines is Japan – the numbers take into account both pachinko and pachislot machines – where 4,3 million units are in operation. Next come the USA with 898.974, Italy with 320.000, Germany with 277.700, Australia with 196.301, the United Kingdom with 183.813, Spain with 183.409, Canada with 99.521, Argentina with 98.117 and Colombia with 86.629.
About Brazil
The study also details the percentages of gaming machines by region. Asia and the Middle East account for 59%, the Americas come in second with 19%, followed by Europe with 18%, Oceania in fourth with 8%, and Africa last with 1%.
The only mention of Brazil in the study is that there are zero gaming machines in the country, citing only the country's population in 2018.
Check out the full research from the Gaming Technologies Association:
World_Count_of_Gaming_Machines_2018
