Given the spread of gaming in the United States over the past 20 years, it stands to reason that the U.S. would lead the world in the number of gaming machines.
In truth, the U.S. is a distant second to Japan—a country that, to date, has no legal casinos.
Japan had 4.3 million machines compared to almost 900,000 in the U.S. according to the annual World Count of Gaming Machines, conducted by the Australia-based Gaming Technologies Association (GTA) for 2018.
Italy finished third at 320,000, followed by Germany at 277,700, Australia at 196,301 and the UK at 183,813. Spain, Canada, Argentina and Colombia rounded out the Top 10.
Of the total 7.4 million machines worldwide, Japan accounts for 58 percent, a figure more astounding since the machines in the country do not pay cash directly, but prizes that can be converted into cash. Equally impressive, Japan, which expects its first casinos to open in the mid-2020s, reports a 4.9 percent decline in machines every year.
GTA has been publishing its World Count since 1999, and has released yearly editions to show the state of the gaming machine market. Association members include some of the world’s biggest gaming equipment and technology suppliers.
The report counts basic slot machines, but also pokie machines, video lottery terminals and video gaming machines, pachinko parlors and electronic gaming tables.
