Getting your hands on high-end indie games for free is awesome. But what’s even sweeter is being able to play those games before everyone else. That’s why, GX.games – a platform full of indie games for you to play, is introducing its first exclusive game, Windmills, available now through to December, before being released on any other gaming platforms.

Lovingly crafted over almost two years by Greek developer Dimitris Locke, under the guise Poor Locke, Windmills, is a story-rich, combat-focused metroidvania, forged in the spirit of games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. The pixel-art platformer also features mechanics and easter eggs that will no doubt appeal to fans of the popular ninja-themed action-adventure game, The Messenger.

Like all the free indie games on GX.games, Windmills has been beautifully crafted using GameMaker, the fastest and friendliest cross-platform game development technology. Alongside Opera GX, the world’s first gaming browser with over 17 million users, GameMaker and GX.games are part of an ecosystem dedicated to supporting creators and developers, while providing gamers with exclusive access to uniquely original and creative games.

“The games available on GX.games are cool indie games that you can dive into whenever you have a break or some spare time. This is why millions of GX.games users have already experienced top-end indie games like Chronicon, Seals of Bygone, Tunnel of Doom, Totemlands and Dyo for free, since we introduced monthly free games back in the summer. For October, we’re taking things to the next level and giving users exclusive access to Windmills, before its launch on other platforms next year” said Mattijs de Valk, VP Content Acquisition at Opera. “Offering Windmills exclusively, demonstrates the unique strength of the GX.games, GameMaker and Opera GX ecosystem, which has been forged to support creators throughout every step of the development process and connecting those games straight into our audience of over 17 million gamers on Opera GX” he added.

In addition to Windmills, GX.games has also added Chronicon (10/10 Steam) – an expansive, fantasy-based APRG that will appeal to fans of Diablo or Torchlight. In Chronicon, players must discover the magical device known as Chronicon, which allows them to travel into the souls and memories of fallen heroes and unlock epic adventures where loot and monsters await.

Every two-weeks, GX.games adds a new top-notch and fantastic indie game to the platform which has been created using GameMaker, which users can play for free as much as they like for up to three-months. Currently, users can get free access to popular tiles such as Seals of Bygone, Dyo, Tunnel of Doom and Textorist.

To experience these games for free,  users will need to open or download Opera GX – the gaming-centric version of the Opera browser. They can then access GX.games by navigating to the website or directly from the GX Corner in the browser. They can start playing games, including the premium indie titles instantly, without the need to create an account or to download any of them.

GX.games is also home to hundreds of awesome games which have been created and shared on the platform for free using GameMaker, the multi-million downloaded 2D game development engine that is part of the Opera Gaming family.

Opera GX was built with gamers in mind. The browser offers tons of visual customization options, sounds, ability to control your hardware’s RGB lighting and includes unique features like CPU, RAM, and Network limiters, to prevent lag so games run smoothly, while also introducing Discord and Twitch in the sidebar to ensure players don’t miss a beat.

With the globalization of the internet, the gambling industry has seen a rapid growth in online gambling market. This growth is being driven by the increasing availability of internet access, the proliferation of mobile devices, and the rise of social media. Moreover, online gambling is convenient, accessible, and offers a wide variety of games and betting options. It is also relatively easy to start and there are no upper age restrictions.

Apart from this, there are many other reasons why online gambling market is expanding at such high rate. For one, it is very convenient. Players can gamble from the comfort of their own home, without having to travel to a land-based casino. Additionally, online gambling sites offer a much wider range of games and betting options than most brick-and-mortar casinos. All of these factors are contributing to the favorable growth of the global online gambling market.

With the growing popularity of online gambling, there is an increasing need for regulation. This is because online gambling can pose some risks, such as addiction and cybercrime. However, with the right regulations in place, these risks can be minimized.

So far, the UK has been at the forefront of regulating online gambling. The UK Gambling Commission has put in place a number of measures to protect consumers and ensure that they are treated fairly by operators. A recent report by the SkyQuest found that the number of people gambling online in the UK online gambling market has increased by 32% in the past 2 years. This trend is being driven by the growth of online casinos and sport betting which are becoming more and more sophisticated and offering a wider range of games and betting options.

Another reason why online gambling is growing in popularity is that it is becoming more accessible. In the past, only people who lived near casinos or had the means to travel to them could gamble. But now, with the internet, anyone can gamble online.

Key Findings of the Global Online Gambling Market

• Global online gambling market to worth an estimated $153.89 billion by 2028.
• Online gambling is legal in many countries, including the United Kingdom, US, Australia, India, Japan, and Canada.
• UK and China are top countries in the global online gambling market
• In the United States, however, online gambling is illegal in most states.
• Most popular online gambling games include poker, casino games, and sports betting.
• Online gambling is particularly popular among young adults, with 36–44-year-old the most likely to gamble online.
• Men are more likely to gamble online than women, although the gender gap is narrowing.
• Risks associated with online gambling include addiction, financial ruin, and crime.
• There are approximately 2,000 online gambling sites in operation today

China, US, UK, Canada and Australia Generates Over 73% Market Revenue

With the popularity of online gambling, many countries have seen an increase in revenue from this industry. China, US, Japan, Canada and Australia are some of the top contributors to the online gambling market. According to SkyQuest’s recent studies, these five countries generate over 73% of the total revenue for the online gambling market. This is a significant amount when you consider that there are over 60 countries where online gambling is legal.

The reason why these five countries generate so much revenue is because they have a large number of people who gamble regularly. China has the largest population in the world, and its citizens are known to be big gamblers. The same is true for the citizens of US, Japan, Canada and Australia. Every year, US citizen spent over $35 billion on gambling and a significant portion of that amount goes to online betting. To be precise, the country spent around $2.6 billion on online gambling and the country is witnessing a growth in the revenue at a CAGR of over 16%.

On other hand, Canada is a well-established player in the global online gambling market. As per SkyQuest Study, Canadian spent over $4.4 billion on online gambling, especially online casino. This is significantly higher than the US. Our study suggests that over 70% of Canadians are engaged in some kind of online gambling activities.

The UK is the biggest online betting market in the world. In 2021, the country spent over $16.41 billion on online betting. This is because there are many different bookmakers and betting sites that cater to UK customers. There are many different types of online bets that UK customers can make. For example, they can bet on sports, horse racing, and even political events. The sky is the limit when it comes to online betting in the UK.

There are many reasons why the UK is such a big player in the online gambling market. For one, gambling is legal and regulated in the UK, so there are plenty of legal and safe options for players to choose from. Secondly, the UK has a large population of internet users, so there is a large pool of potential customers for online gambling operators. Finally, the UK has a long history of gambling, dating back to the early days of horse racing and cockfighting. This tradition of gambling has continued into the modern era, with the British public spending billions of pounds on lottery tickets, casino games, and sports betting each year.

Major Players in Global Online Gambling Market

• Entain plc (GVC Holdings Plc.)
• Kindred Group Plc. (Malta)
• William Hill Plc. (UK)
• StarsGroup.com (Canada)
• Flutter Entertainment Plc. (Ireland)
• Betsson AB (Sweden)
• Bet365 Group (UK)
• LeoVegas AB (Sweden)
• 888 Holdings PLC (Gibraltar)
• BetAmerica (US)

The “Global Online Gambling Market – Forecasts from 2022 to 2027” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets‘ offering.

The global online gambling market was valued at US$65.316 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.11% over the forecast period to reach a total market size of US$128.154 billion in 2027.

The growing popularity of betting across different regions around the globe is significantly driving the global online gambling market. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), around 2,800 sites were active online and offered games and activities, such as poker, lottery, and bingo, as of 2018.

The growing adoption of smartphones, coupled with rapid penetration of better internet connectivity across various regions/countries, is supporting easy access to various online gambling platforms. With companies offering freemium models to their customers, the number of people engaged in various types of online gambling is rising at a considerable rate which, in turn, is boosting the growth of the global online gambling market.

An increasing number of cost-effective mobile applications to play different online gambling games on smartphones is also contributing to the market growth of online gambling worldwide. The ease of sports betting using a portable connected device such as a smartphone, laptop, and tablet has increased the number of players in the online gambling industry.

Moreover, the proliferation of sports betting along with other online gambling ads is further attracting people to try online gambling, thus positively impacting the market growth during the forecast period. Online agencies, third-party ad servers, and networks and exchanges are used for advertising gambling websites of various companies. Online gambling service providers enter into agreements with individual customers or players to offer betting services for real money, attracting more and more gamers.

The online gambling industry has a vast range of regulatory frameworks in place, which attributes mainly to the market size, the number of participants, and the level of illegal gambling. Legislation for online gambling ranges from licensed markets that are fully open to commercial operators to explicitly prohibited and banned. Tax rates, online penetration, and other regulatory requirements vary widely across geographic regions. As legislation continues to evolve, the regulated markets have a severe impact of increasing costs and barriers to entry which includes consumer protection initiatives and rising gambling taxes. By far, the United Kingdom is the largest regulated online gambling market for many online operators. Other sizeable regulated markets include Sweden, Spain, Italy, and Australia.

However, many countries prohibit the online gambling industry, which is hampering the growth of the global online gambling market. Countries, where online gambling is illegal, include Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), North Korea, India, and Qatar. In Russia, online gambling is completely banned except for interactive gambling, which includes simulators of slot machines, card games, and casino games. Moreover, countries, where online gambling is allowed have restricted and stringent regulations, which further erodes the growth of this overall online gambling market.