CompanyH2 Gambling Capital revised its forecasts for the development of the gambling market in 2020 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19. Analysts believe that the industry volume will decrease by 8%.

Experts say that the coronavirus has already had a serious impact on the gaming markets in China (including Macau and Hong Kong), Singapore, Japan and Italy, and in the future it may affect industry in other countries. Due to restrictions imposed by regulators and casino operators, the attendance of gambling zones and the profit of establishments are falling.

At the same time, analysts expect the coronavirus outbreak to have a positive impact on the development of the online segment. Its share can grow from 13.4 to 14.7%, and if the disease continues to actively spread around the planet in the second quarter of 2020, it will exceed 15%. With restrictions on land-based establishments and their health risks, the number of people playing online casinos from home will increase.

In early February, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Macau authoritiesclosed casino for a two-week quarantine. The government said this was necessary to avoid the spread of the disease. According to media reports, because of this, the income of local casinos in February decreased by 88% compared to the same period last year - from $3.1 billion to $386 million.