Gambling is an activity which is widespread in many regions in the world. However, it is more prominent in US. In this paper, a comparison in gambling between US and other parts of the world was carried out. It was established that while the games played and the purpose of gambling remained the same, in US, gambling bring in more revenue and takes place in more locations as compared to other regions.
Introduction
Throughout its long history, gambling has been a source of entertainment as well as a source of income for its customers. In the US, the gambling industry contributes significantly to the economy by employing over 730,000 individuals and contributing about 138 billion dollars to the economy (Karmel, 2015). While gambling is huge in the US, it is also significantly established in other regions such as Asia and Africa.
Comparison of gambling between the US and other parts of the world
Similarities
There are a number of similarities in gambling between the US and other parts of the world. One of them is that the reasons for gambling are similar throughout the world. Some of the reasons why people engage in gambling include: to have fun, make friends, and make money (Rosenbaum " Wong, 2015). In the US as well as in other countries around, gambling, particularly the casino gambling is considered a social event which allows people to enjoy themselves and meet new friends.
Another similarity between gambling in the US versus the world is that in both cases, the same games and rules apply. Some of the most common forms of gambling which can be witnessed in almost every region that the activity takes place include sports betting and poker. Karmel, 2015). In the US, sports betting involve betting on horse races, football, and basketball
Gambling around the world is also similar with regard to legality. In most countries, including the US, gambling is largely illegal. In the US, for instance, sports betting, one form of gambling, is only legal in Las Vegas (Rosenbaum " Wong, 2015). In Mainland China, any form of gambling is illegal. However, despite its illegality, gambling is widespread. For instance, in Mainland China, people still engage in the activity. In 2003, 11.8 million took in gambling in casinos in the country.
Differences
Despite the similarities, there are also a number of differences in gambling between the US and other parts of the world. One of them is the extent of the activity. In the US, gambling is widespread and it is practised in almost every state. This is reflected in the number of casinos as well as revenue collected from the ativity (Karmel, 2015). In the US, there are casinos in 27 states. In Las Vegas alone, there are 340 casinos. This is compared to only 14 casinos found in China. With respect to revenue, the US has the highest revenue collected from gambling. For example, in 2013, the revenue from gambling in the US was 102.592 billion dollars (Rosenbaum " Wong, 2015). In Macau, the revenue from gambling was 45.440 billion dollars while in the UK, the revenue was 20.102 billion dollars. Sweden had the lowest revenue with only 2.4 billion dollars.
Another difference is that compared to other places, gambling in the US is more glamorous. People engage in gambling because they enjoy it. For instance, in the US, people bet on which poker player would win in a poker game so hat they can have fun watching how the players try to outdo each other. In other places, while gambling is done for fun, it is done more for monetary purposes (Karmel, 2015). People engage in gambling because they want to win. This makes the game less glamorous.
Conclusion
Basically, gambling is widespread around the world. However, it is more pronounced in the US where people engage in gambling on a wider scale. Similarities between gambling in the US and other places include reasons for gambling and legality while differences are in revenue level and extent of the activity.
References
Karmel, J. R. (2015). Gambling on the American dream: Atlantic City and the casino era. Routledge.
Rosenbaum, M. S., " Wong, I. A. (2015). When gambling is healthy: the restorative potential of casinos. Journal of Services Marketing, 29(6/7), 622-633.
