Asia to near US in gambling by 2014

A PricewaterhouseCoopers study predicts the market that includes Macau in China, as well as Singapore, South Korea and Australia will generate us$ 62.9 billion by then. Revenue for companies in those markets was us$ 21.8 billion in 2009.

In the United States, 2009 gambling revenue was us$ 57.2 billion, including all commercial and American Indian casinos. PricewaterhouseCoopers expects that to edge up to us$ 68.3 billion by 2014.

Gambling revenue is far lower than the amount people actually wager on table games, slot machines and other casino bets. American Indian casinos had us$ 26.5 billion in revenue in 2009, and the report projects that will grow 2.7 % per year to us$ 30.3 billion in 2014.

PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates commercial gambling in the U.S. will grow to us$ 38 billion in 2014 from us$ 30.7 billion last year.
That includes regional casinos outside Nevada and New Jersey growing 6.1 % per year and gambling revenue in Atlantic City dropping 3.2 % per year. Gambling in Nevada is expected to grow 4.1 % per year and generate us$ 12.5 billion in 2014.

The modest outlook for the United States is dramatically outshone by projections for Macau, already the world's top single gambling market. The report says gambling revenue in Macau will grow nearly 25 % each of the next five years, to us$ 45.1 billion in 2014. That number would beat commercial gambling in the United States.

Two of the world's top four gambling companies - Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts - already make most of their profit in Macau, and their gambling revenue in the enclave dwarfs their U.S. gambling revenue.

The report said predicting the online gambling market is tough because of uncertainty about legal issues in the United States.

Yogonet.com / ABC News / The Associated Press / AGA SmartBrief