Israelis spend NIS 10 billion (USD 2.17 billion) a year on gambling, a survey conducted recently showed. Credit Information Association (CIA) which conducted the research said Israeli gamblers’ yearly spending on legal gambling exceeds that of their European and American counterparts.
While a European gambler spends USD 135 on gambling a year compared to a USD 250 average in the United States, Israeli gamblers spend NIS 2,000 a year (USD 440).
The research shows that NIS 3.5 billion (USD 761 billion) of the total yearly spending goes for national lottery games and NIS 1.5 billion are spent on internet and cellular gambling games. Although casinos are illegal in Israel, Israelis spend NIS 5 billion (USD 1 billion) on illegal casino gambling.
The national lottery’s Lotto and Totto games are the most popular among Israeli gamblers, with a total yearly spending of NIS 1 billion (USD 217 million).
The research also showed that legal gamblers are 40 to 60-year-old urban males.
Some 30 percent of regular national lottery gamblers are aged 16 to 35. These gamblers prefer to play national lottery games on the internet and through their cellular phones.